Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera Convicted on Charges of Unregistered Lobbying, Money Laundering, and Tax Evasion

U.S. Rep. S. officials to ease sanctions on Venezuela during Nicholas Maduro's time in power.

The charges included acting as an unregistered agent for Venezuela, conspiring to commit money laundering, and tax evasion. S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and previously in Florida's legislature, had been out on bond but was ordered into custody by Judge Melissa Damian after the verdict.

The five-week trial featured testimony from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and a Washington lobbyist. -based affiliate of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA. S.

In 2017 for then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez, now the acting president of Venezuela. S. S.

And Venezuela. Prosecutors claimed Rivera used connections from his congressional days, such as with Rubio and Sessions, to advance the lobbying efforts. The trial and conviction took place in 2019, during the first Trump administration.

Rubio, a longtime friend and former roommate of Rivera, testified that he met with Rivera in 2017 while serving in the Senate. Rubio stated that Rivera told him he was working on a plan to convince Maduro to step down.

U.S. Would not retaliate against Venezuelan government insiders who worked to push Maduro from power. “He provided me with insight into some of the key phrases that regime insiders would’ve wanted to hear to know this was serious,” Rubio testified about Rivera. , in a related foreign lobbying case.

The case stems from activities during Maduro's presidency, with Rodríguez's involvement highlighted in the 2017 meetings arranged by Rivera and Nuhfer.