Free Republic

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska was convicted Thursday on charges that he lied to federal authorities about an illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign from a foreign billionaire at a 2016 Los Angeles fundraiser. A federal jury in LA deliberated about two hours before finding the nine-term Republican guilty of one count of falsifying and concealing material facts and two counts of making false statements. Fortenberry was charged after sitting for two interviews with FBI agents who were investigating the donor, Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent. Fortenberry showed no emotion as the...

LOS ANGELES -- A disability rights advocate will become the second openly transgender person to serve as a California judge after being appointed Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Andi Mudryk, 58, chief deputy director at the Department of Rehabilitation, will serve on the Sacramento County Superior Court. She follows in the path of Alameda Superior Court Judge Victoria Kolakowski, who became the first openly transgender judge after being elected in 2010. “Andi Mudryk is a great appointment and will be a wonderful judge,” Kolakowski tweeted. “I’m glad to finally have a trans colleague on the bench in California.” Mudryk has...