NOT HELPING

Trump Says He Backs Indicted GOP Rep Despite ‘Possibly Telling Some Lies’ to FBI

In an unhelpful statement, the former president offered his support to the freshly indicted Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE).

Donald Trump has thrown his support behind indicted Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)—even though the ex-president concedes that the congressman may well have lied to the FBI about an alleged scheme to pump foreign money to his campaign. On Tuesday, Fortenberry was charged with concealing information and lying to federal authorities during an investigation into illegal campaign contributions. He denied the charges, and, in an unhelpful show of support, Trump wrote: “Isn’t it terrible that a Republican Congressman from Nebraska just got indicted for possibly telling some lies to investigators about campaign contributions, when half of the United States Congress lied about made up scams, and when Mark Zuckerberg, in my opinion a criminal, is allowed to spend $500 million and therefore able to change the course of a Presidential Election, and nothing happens to them.” Trump went on to list a greatest hits of grievances against Hillary Clinton, James Comey, and Adam Schiff.