Jonathan Fonati Koffa (born 1964)[1] is a Liberian lawyer and politician. He has been serving as speaker of the House of Representatives since January 2024.
In 2016, Cllr. Koffa was appointed by then President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Minister of State without Portfolio and Special Prosecutor of the Sable Mining Bribery scandal. [2]
Cllr. Koffa is the founder and former Managing Partner of the International Law Group (ILG) and he has been practicing law since 1997 both in Liberia and the United States of America. Hon. Koffa was also admitted into the Supreme Court Bar of the Republic of Liberia with distinct honor as Valedictorian of the graduating class. [3]
In the 2017 House of Representatives election, Koffa was elected to represent Grand Kru County's 2nd electoral district. He ran for election under the Liberty Party (LP) banner.[4] He had previously served as chairman of the LP. In August 2018, Koffa switched party affiliation from the LP to the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).[5]
Hon. J. Fonati Koffa was first appointed to the Chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee of the 54th National Legislature. He was a member of the Committee on Elections and Inauguration as well as the Committee on Human & Civil Rights. He was the acting Chairperson of the Grand Kru Legislative Caucus at the 54th National Legislature. [6]
In January 2021, Koffa was elected as deputy speaker.[7] In the 2023 election, Koffa was re-elected under the CDC banner.[8] The CDC endorsed Koffa's run for speaker.[9] In January 2024, Koffa was elected speaker by the House.[10]
Hon. Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa is a graduate of the Class of 1982 at the Cathedral Catholic High School. After acquiring his basic education in Liberia, Hon. Koffa was opportune to travel to the United States of America. While in the United State of America Hon. Cllr. Koffa enrolled at the Shaw University, Raleigh North Carolina, USA, where he obtained a Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA-Cum Laude) with emphasis in Urban Planning Concentration. His educational pursuit took him to Raleigh North Carolina State University, where he obtained a master’s in public administration (MPA). Cllr. Koffa also obtained a Juris Doctorates (JD) degree in Law, from the University Of North Carolina School Of Law at Chapel Hill. [11]
In the early 2000s, Koffa served as town manager of Zebulon, North Carolina in the United States. He had also served as town attorney for Rolesville, North Carolina.[1] In 2004, a state news report revealed that Koffa, as a lawyer, had stolen money from clients. He was found guilty on a number of charges, including embezzlement. Following his sentence, Koffa returned to Liberia.[12]
Koffa was born in Liberia and is married to Dama Yekeson Koffa. He has three children [13]