Former Congressman David Rivera Sentenced To 10 Years

A Miami federal judge sentenced former South Florida Congressman David Rivera to 10 years in prison on Friday (October 2) for acting as an illegal lobbyist for Venezuela and conspiring to commit money laundering. In May, a jury found Rivera guilty on all charges related to a secret $50 million lobbying campaign for Venezuela during President Donald Trump's first term. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of more than 20 years, while Rivera's legal team argued for a maximum of one year as they plan to appeal the conviction.

Rivera, a Republican and longtime friend of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was involved in a lobbying effort aimed at persuading the Trump administration to ease sanctions on Venezuela. The campaign was orchestrated with the help of political consultant Esther Nuhfer, who was sentenced to five years in prison in August. Rivera's activities included failing to register as a foreign agent and setting up an encrypted chat group to communicate with Venezuelan officials, including media tycoon Raúl Gorrín, who was charged in the U.S. with bribing top Venezuelan officials.

Judge Melissa Damian denounced Rivera for betraying his mission, stating, "There’s no dispute this money came from the Maduro regime." Prosecutors argued that Rivera used his position of trust to betray the United States and the public. Rivera's defense claimed that his work was commercial and exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act, but the judge rejected this argument, labeling it a classic money laundering case.

Despite his conviction, Rivera remains popular among Miami's Cuban American community. His legal team plans to appeal the conviction and has applied for a presidential pardon. Rivera also faces additional federal charges in Washington, D.C., in a related foreign lobbying case.