David Rivera Gets 10 Years for $50 Million Secret Venezuela Lobbying
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Oct 2
David Rivera Gets 10 Years for $50 Million Secret Venezuela Lobbying
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 2
Summary
A federal judge sentenced former Florida Rep. David Rivera, 61, to 10 years in prison for secretly lobbying for Nicolas Maduro’s government in 2017 and conspiring to commit money laundering.
The case centered on a $50 million campaign to push the early Trump administration to ease sanctions on Venezuela, with prosecutors saying Rivera exploited ties to Marco Rubio and other Republicans without disclosing his client.
Rivera’s lawyers sought a lighter sentence, arguing DOJ has narrowed FARA prosecutions under a 2025 memo and that the conduct would have been legal had he simply registered.
The sentence comes as DOJ signals renewed interest in FARA through planned rule updates and a recent warning that foreign-backed public demonstrations can also trigger registration requirements.
Rivera, denied bail as a flight risk after his May conviction, still faces a separate Washington case on FARA and money-laundering charges while pursuing a presidential pardon.