Trump claimed a Nebraska GOP congressman 'possibly didn't even know anything about' the money that he was convicted of lying to the FBI about

During a Saturday rally in Michigan, former President Donald Trump said that a GOP congressman may not have known about the crimes he was convicted of.

A congressman is being put in jail over a few dollars that he probably didn't know anything about. Trump said that Fortenberry was going to jail, apparently in reference to the Nebraska congressman who was convicted of three felony counts in a Los Angeles court on March 24.

Fortenberry was charged after he denied knowing he had received $30,000 in donations from a Nigerian billionaire.

Chagoury was accused of conspiring to make illegal donations to American politicians and paid a fine after a deal with the US government for allegedly violating campaign finance laws.

If they put this congressman in jail, it was over a small amount of money, but I don't know him very well.

Fortenberry said he would appeal the convictions as a private citizen after he resigned from his congressional office. Each charge carries with it a possible maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The New York Times reported that Fortenberry said after his convictions that it was going to be hard to have a fair process.

Neither Fortenberry nor Trump's offices returned Insider's requests for comment.