Former congressman David Rivera was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being convicted of money laundering and acting as an undeclared foreign agent related to a $50 million contract tied to Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA (Citgo). Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer were convicted after a seven-week trial that, prosecutors say, revealed a "secret political influence campaign" in 2017–18 targeting U.S. officials. Rivera must forfeit his Florida properties, and Judge Melissa Damian noted the funds originated from the Maduro regime. Marco Rubio testified that he was unaware of Rivera's lobbying activities.
Ex-Florida Congressman David Rivera Sentenced to 10 Years in $50M Venezuela Lobbying Case
Rivera served in Congress from 2011 to 2013 [Reuters]
David Rivera, a former Republican congressman from Florida, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of money laundering and acting as an undeclared foreign agent.
Rivera, 61, was convicted in May following a seven-week trial in which prosecutors said his consulting firm accepted a $50 million contract—reportedly for three months of work—connected to Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA (Citgo). Federal prosecutors described the work as a "secret political influence campaign" aimed at swaying U.S. officials on behalf of the Maduro government.
Associate and Co‑defendant: Political consultant Esther Nuhfer, who was tried alongside Rivera, was also convicted. As part of his sentence, Rivera must forfeit his Florida properties.
Allegations and Defense
Prosecutors allege that in 2017 and 2018 Rivera and Nuhfer attempted to lobby high-profile U.S. officials, including then-Senator Marco Rubio and former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, at the direction of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. The activity came during a period of sharply strained U.S.–Venezuela relations when the Trump administration had imposed sanctions on Caracas.
Rivera’s defense argued the contract was with a U.S.-based subsidiary of PDVSA and therefore did not require registration as a foreign agent. Judge Melissa Damian, however, emphasized at sentencing: "There's no dispute this money came from the Maduro regime."
Testimony and Impact
Marco Rubio—who previously shared a residence with Rivera but was not implicated in the scheme—testified at trial that he considered Rivera a close friend and was unaware Rivera was being paid to lobby on Venezuela’s behalf. Texas Representative Pete Sessions also told the court he had no knowledge of Rivera’s activities.
The convictions and sentence underscore heightened scrutiny of undisclosed influence operations and the legal obligations of lobbyists and consultants working on behalf of foreign interests.
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