With an assist from Sarah Ferris, from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. CONVICTED — While House Republicans preach unity and staying away from scandal down in Florida, one of their own was convicted last night on three felony counts. A federal jury in Los Angeles found Nebraska Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry guilty of three felonies for lying to the FBI about his knowledge of an illegal $30,000 campaign contribution from a foreign national. The nine-term congressman faces a possible prison sentence of up to five years on each count, as well as fines. He'll be sentenced on June 28. Can you hear me now? Fortenberry's defense argued that he might have had a poor phone connection or been distracted when he was told about the source of the funds in a 2018 phone call. He did not take the stand in his own defense. Josh Gerstein and Myah Ward have more: GOP Rep. Jeff Fortenberry convicted of lying to FBI What to watch: The last few House members to be convicted on felony charges resigned their seats, not waiting for the House to move toward expulsion proceedings. Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote in the House and is exceedingly rare. (More on what happens with a vacancy below.) Members convicted of felonies are instructed by House Rules not to vote on the House floor. Fortenberry had already given up his committee assignments, in adherence to a "step aside" rule in the House GOP Conference rules for members who face federal indictment. With the jury's decision, he won't be eligible for reinstatement. After the verdict, Fortenberry promised to appeal and said he would be reviewing whether to continue his reelection bid, per Paul Hammel at the Nebraska Examiner. Keep an eye on Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) who testified on Fortenberry's behalf, telling jurors she considered him "honest" and "honorable." FROM VENERATED TO VACANT — Whether through death, resignation or expulsion, the fate of a House congressional office without its elected member is up to someone you might not expect: the House Clerk. The clerk is taking control of Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young's office after his sudden death last week, leaving the Last Frontier without its sole House representative. And it's just the most recent vacated seat that has handed significant representation power to the clerk. "We are now left with a hole the size of Alaska in our congressional delegation," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said on the Senate floor this week. Just the facts: Under House rules, the office of the clerk "shall supervise the staff and manage the office of a Member … in the event that a vacancy is declared by the House in any congressional district." The clerk is authorized to terminate employees and, with the approval of the House Administration Committee, appoint staff as required to operate the office. (That has gotten messy in recent years.) Murkowski told Huddle that her team has already taken steps to get involved and take on some of the burden felt by Young's team. Constituents are entitled to services from Congress even though their representation has lapsed. "It's hard. It's very hard. And it's not anything you would ever want to have to do but our team is stepping in helping all of their staff," said Murkowski. "We're working on all aspects of what they can't do now. Which again is very hard because I think everyone wants to be there to help Alaskans. We're all doubling down and just doing more, so we're gonna have to work really hard." Nonpartisan mode: Under this "interim vacant" status, there's no voting authority. Alaskans won't have a vote in the House until a successor is elected. Similarly, an office under the clerk's supervision won't pursue a legislative agenda and is supposed to operate on a nonpartisan basis. If constituents call with questions, they can't speculate or offer views on legislation, just general info about a bill's status. Staff situation: It is enshrined in law that staff for a deceased member, including Young's team, will be paid as usual until a successor is elected. Young's staff can keep helping constituents with federal issues, including working with executive branch agencies to sort out common issues like Veterans' benefits or Social Security. They aren't allowed to participate in the campaign to replace their late boss. Young's nameplate remains outside his spacious Rayburn office, with a large black and white portrait of the late congressman, with the words "Congressman For All Alaska". But in the coming days or weeks Young's name will be replaced with a sign that just says "Office of the Alaska Congressional District." TGIF! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, March 25, where we want to know how your office is prepping for tours returning. Your Huddle host is all ears. | 
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