Former GOP Rep. David Rivera sentenced to 10 years for secret Venezuela lobbying

A former Miami congressman and longtime friend of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, David Rivera, was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for a secret $50 million lobbying campaign for Venezuela during the first Trump administration. Rivera, 61, has been jailed since jurors convicted him in May on all counts, including failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering tied to work for Nicolás Maduro’s government. Judge Melissa Damian said the money came from the Maduro regime and denounced Rivera for betraying his anti-communist mission. The seven-week trial offered a window into Miami’s role in foreign influence efforts targeting U.S. policy in Latin America, featuring testimony from then-Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s circle, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, and a top Washington lobbyist. Rivera’s attorneys say they will appeal and sought a presidential pardon in June.