Former US Representative David Rivera sentenced to 10 years for secret Venezuela lobbying
Former Florida congressman David Rivera was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on October 2, 2026, for secretly lobbying US officials on behalf of Venezuela's Maduro government without registering as a foreign agent. Rivera was convicted in May on counts of failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering related to a $50 million contract with a US subsidiary of Venezuela's state oil company. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Rep. Pete Sessions, and lobbyist Brian Ballard testified at trial that they were unaware of Rivera's arrangement.
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Broad agreement on what happened
Outlets across the spectrum land in roughly the same place: the shared language is highlighted.
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