Jury Convicts Florida Ex-Congressman (R) of Secretly Lobbying for Venezuela
A federal jury convicted former Representative David Rivera of Florida on Friday, finding him guilty of conspiracy and five other crimes for secretly lobbying officials in Washington on behalf of the Venezuelan government in 2017 and 2018.
Prosecutors presented evidence during the five-week trial in Miami showing that Venezuela’s state-run oil company had secretly hired Mr. Rivera’s consulting firm for $50 million to lobby members of Congress and the White House for a thaw in U.S.-Venezuela relations.
The revelation ran contrary to how Mr. Rivera, a Republican, had portrayed himself in public. He made a political career, first as a state lawmaker and later as a congressman, as a strident anti-Communist. Mr. Rivera served in Congress from 2011 to 2013.
He had previously been the subject of several state and federal investigations into improper campaign dealings. He was also found guilty in the criminal case of failing to register as a foreign agent and money laundering, which carries a potentially long prison sentence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 20.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/us/david-rivera-florida-verdict-trial.html