Former GOP Lawmaker Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison

Former Florida Rep. David Rivera, a Republican who served one term in Congress, was sentenced Friday to 10 years in federal prison for his undisclosed role in a multimillion dollar lobbying campaign conducted on behalf of the Venezuelan government.

The lobbying effort unfolded during the first Trump administration and involved a $50 million contract. Rivera has remained in federal custody without bond since a Miami jury convicted him in May of conspiracy to commit money laundering and other crimes tied to the scheme.

Rivera is a longtime friend and former roommate of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. His political connections became a central feature of the case as prosecutors detailed efforts to influence American lawmakers and members of the Trump administration.

The campaign operated from 2017 to 2018 under the regime of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Rivera was no longer serving in the House when he and consultant Esther Nuhfer carried out the lobbying work.

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Rivera and Nuhfer secretly lobbied American lawmakers and administration officials on behalf of PDV USA. The company is the United States affiliate of Venezuela’s state run oil company.

A jury found both Rivera and Nuhfer guilty of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act following a trial that lasted several weeks. The law requires certain people working on behalf of foreign interests to disclose their activities.

Rubio, Texas Rep. Pete Sessions, a Republican, and a top Washington lobbyist testified during the trial. Each said they were unaware of a contract between PDV USA and Rivera’s consulting company.

Prosecutors outlined the allegations in an 11 page indictment unsealed in 2022. They alleged that Delcy Rodríguez, who was Venezuela’s foreign minister at the time, recruited Rivera to persuade the Trump administration to ease sanctions against the country.

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Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s acting president since the United States arrested Maduro in January. The lobbying effort did not secure the desired sanctions relief from President Trump.

Trump declined to loosen the restrictions. Instead, he moved to sanction Maduro’s government within his first six months in the White House.

According to the indictment, Rivera and Nuhfer signed a contract calling for them to receive $50 million through the arrangement. The payment structure included five installments of $5 million each and another payment of $25 million.

Prosecutors said Rivera and Nuhfer ultimately received about $20 million before the company terminated the contract. The criminal case focused in part on their failure to disclose the lobbying work under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Attorneys for Rivera maintained that the defendants acted in good faith. They also argued that Rivera and Nuhfer were not legally required to disclose their activities under the federal registration law.

Rivera’s defense lawyers applied for a presidential pardon in June, according to The Associated Press. They also plan to appeal the 10 year sentence imposed Friday.

Nuhfer received a five year prison sentence in August for her role in the illegal lobbying operation, according to the Miami Herald. Rivera’s sentence was twice as long as the prison term handed to his consultant.

Rivera represented Florida’s 25th Congressional District from 2011 until 2013. His service in the House lasted a single term, and he was not a member of Congress during the Venezuela lobbying campaign.

The former lawmaker had also faced scrutiny over campaign finances before his conviction in the foreign lobbying case. In 2021, Rivera was fined $456,000 after several state and federal investigations into his involvement in an improper campaign finance scheme.

His latest sentence follows the May convictions involving money laundering conspiracy and other offenses connected to the $50 million contract. Rivera will now pursue an appeal after receiving a decade behind bars.

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