Former Congressman David Rivera Sentenced to 10 Years for Secret Venezuela Lobbying

Former Republican Congressman David Rivera was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday for his role in a secret $50 million lobbying campaign on behalf of Venezuela's government during the first Trump administration. Rivera, 61, has been held since May, when a jury convicted him on charges including failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Judge Melissa Damian criticized Rivera for betraying his public service, stating that the source of the millions of dollars from the Maduro regime was undisputed and unacceptable. The seven-week trial revealed insights into Miami's function as a hub for foreign influence operations targeting U.S. policy toward Latin America.

Prosecutors alleged that Rivera was enlisted by then-Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez to leverage Republican connections to persuade the Trump administration to ease sanctions against Venezuela. Rivera and co-defendant Esther Nuhfer allegedly sought to influence figures such as Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Pete Sessions, aiming to normalize relations with the new administration despite accusations of human rights violations against the Maduro government.

The defense argued that Rivera believed he was not required to disclose his work, as the $50 million contract with a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA, was for commercial purposes aimed at attracting ExxonMobil back to Venezuela, which they contended was exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Defense attorneys stated that if Rivera had filed the paperwork, the contract would have been legal.

Prosecutors countered that Rivera used the contract as a cover for illegal lobbying, with the judge describing it as a "classic money laundering case." To conceal their activities, Rivera and his associates allegedly used coded language in an encrypted chat group. Maduro was referred to as the "bus driver," Sessions as "Sombrero," and Rodríguez as "The Lady in Red." Payments were called "La Luz" (The Light), and Rubio was nicknamed "Miss Clairol."

Rivera faces additional federal charges in Washington D.C. in a related foreign lobbying case. His legal team plans to appeal the sentence and had previously applied for a presidential pardon. Rivera's defense team maintained that his separate meetings with Rubio and Sessions were focused on promoting a more U.S.-friendly leadership in Venezuela, not on supporting Maduro's normalization efforts with the U.S.

The prosecution presented evidence that the funds were used for illicit purposes, including a $3.75 million wire transfer to a South Florida company that maintained Raúl Gorrín’s luxury yacht. Gorrín, a Venezuelan media tycoon, was subsequently charged in the U.S. with bribing top Venezuelan officials.

Rivera, a former Florida legislator who shared a home with Rubio before entering Congress, has faced previous controversies, including allegations of secretly funding a spoiler candidate in a 2012 congressional race, which were later dropped. He was also investigated but not charged for alleged campaign finance violations and a contract with a gambling company during his time in the Florida Legislature.

Despite these past issues, Rivera remains popular among some in Miami's Cuban American community. Several friends and supporters, including former Florida International University President Mark Rosenberg and Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Christina White, attended his sentencing. Representative Pete Sessions also submitted a letter seeking leniency, highlighting Rivera's decades of public service.