Ex-Congressman Rivera Gets 10 Years for Secret Venezuela Lobbying

A federal judge in Miami sentenced former Republican Rep. David Rivera to 10 years in prison Friday for concealing a $50 million lobbying operation on behalf of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government. Rivera, 61, was convicted in May of failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Judge Melissa Damian denounced Rivera for betraying his life's mission, noting his Miami allies would have judged him harshly had the money come from Cuba rather than its allies in Caracas. "Nobody would accept that's ok and I don't think this is different," Damian said, adding there was no dispute the funds originated from the Maduro regime.

“Nobody would accept that's ok and I don't think this is different. There's no dispute this money came from the Maduro regime.”

The seven-week trial featured testimony from former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Rep. Pete Sessions, and a top Washington lobbyist, all of whom said they felt betrayed upon learning of Rivera's consulting contract with a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA. Prosecutors alleged Rivera was recruited by then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez to leverage Republican connections to ease Trump-era sanctions.

Rivera has been jailed since his conviction. His attorneys plan to appeal and applied for a presidential pardon in June. He also faces additional federal charges in Washington, D.C., in a related foreign lobbying case. Judge Damian has yet to rule on the government's request that Rivera forfeit $20 million in criminal proceeds.