Former US congressman sentenced to ten years for Venezuela lobbying scheme

A former US congressman has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for money‑laundering and acting as an undeclared foreign agent.

David Rivera, 61, a former Republican MP for Florida who served from 2011‑13, was found guilty after a seven‑week trial in May. Prosecutors said Rivera and political consultant Esther Nuhfer received a $50 million contract to lobby on behalf of a US‑based subsidiary of Venezuela’s state oil firm PDVSA (Citgo).

The court heard the scheme was a “secret political influence campaign” directed by the Maduro regime in 2017‑18, seeking to improve US‑Venezuela relations. Rivera’s lobbying targeted then‑senator Marco Rubio – a former housemate – and former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway.

Both Rubio and Texas MP Pete Sessions testified they were unaware of Rivera’s activities. Defence lawyers argued the work was for a US subsidiary and did not require registration as a foreign agent, but Judge Melissa Damian rejected that view, noting the money came from the Maduro government.

In addition to the prison term, Rivera must forfeit his Florida properties. Nuhfer was also convicted in the case.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Michael Saffle / Pexels.