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NATIONAL NEWS

Former GOP Rep. David Rivera sentenced to 10 years for secret Venezuela lobbying

Oct 2, 2026, 11:20 AM

FILE - Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera speaks with media outside a federal court in Miami, Dec. 20, 2...

FILE - Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera speaks with media outside a federal court in Miami, Dec. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Joshua Goodman, File)
Credit: AP Photo/Joshua Goodman

(AP Photo/Joshua Goodman, File)

Associated Press's Profile Picture

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS


MIAMI (AP) — A former Miami congressman and longtime friend of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison in connection with a secret $50 million lobbying campaign on behalf of Venezuela during the first Trump administration.

Republican David Rivera has been jailed since jurors found him guilty in May on all counts, including failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of his work for former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ’s government.

The Republican stalwart’s seven-week trial included testimony by Rubio and offered a rare glimpse into Miami’s role as a crossroads for foreign influence campaigns aimed at shaping U.S. policy toward Latin America. President Donald Trump’s secretary of state testified during the trial that he had no idea about the lobbying and felt betrayed.

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Former GOP Rep. David Rivera sentenced to 10 years for secret Venezuela lobbying