Former Congressman David Rivera Sentenced to 10 Years

David Rivera, a former Florida Republican congressman, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being convicted of money laundering and acting as an undeclared foreign agent. Rivera, 61, was found guilty in May following a seven-week trial regarding allegations that he worked secretly for Venezuela’s government.

Prosecutors stated that Venezuela’s state-owned oil company hired Rivera’s consulting firm to influence US lawmakers and improve relations between the US and Venezuela. Rivera served in the US House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013.

He was ordered to forfeit properties in Florida as part of his sentence. Political consultant Esther Nuhfer, who was tried alongside Rivera, was also convicted.

The pair conducted a “secret political influence campaign” after securing a $50 million contract for three months of work on behalf of a US-based subsidiary of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, known as Citgo. Their lobbying efforts targeted influential US figures during a time of deteriorating US-Venezuela relations.

US District Judge Melissa Damian rejected the defense's argument that they were not required to register as foreign agents, emphasizing that the money came from the Maduro regime.