In a significant legal development, a federal grand jury in Washington has indicted former U.S. Representative David Rivera. The indictment accuses the ex-congressman of failing to register as a foreign agent for a sanctioned Venezuelan media tycoon, Raúl GorrÃn.
The indictment marks the second wave of charges focusing on Rivera’s alleged illegal activities related to Raúl GorrÃn. GorrÃn, a wealthy businessman, has faced previous charges for bribing top Venezuelan officials in corrupt schemes to siphon state funds under President Nicolas Maduro’s rule.
Between June 2019 and April 2020, Rivera allegedly lobbied various U.S. officials, including a high-ranking member of the executive branch, to lift sanctions against GorrÃn. According to the Justice Department’s National Security Division, an unnamed former U.S. official living in New York allegedly assisted Rivera in this endeavor. Rivera reportedly paid this individual $125,000 out of the over $5.5 million he received from GorrÃn or on GorrÃn’s behalf.
The charges against Rivera include money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which mandates registration when lobbying U.S. officials on behalf of foreign nationals or entities. To further his actions, Rivera is accused of setting up fake shell companies in Delaware, using names linked to a law firm and the unnamed official, as well as the official’s hometown. These measures allegedly aimed to create a facade of legitimacy for the shell companies. The indictment claims that the named official was unaware of the misuse of their name and hometown.
Rivera’s legal troubles are not new, as he was detained in 2022 for another illegal lobbying incident in Miami’s federal court. This previous case involved a dubious $50 million consulting contract with Interamerican Consulting, Rivera’s firm, and a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela’s state-run oil company, PDVSA. U.S. prosecutors argue this contract was a front for a covert effort by Maduro’s regime to gain favor with the then-incoming Trump administration.
Despite efforts by Rivera, GorrÃn, and others, their campaign ultimately failed, as evidenced by Trump’s recognition of opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state in 2019 and his imposition of severe oil sanctions on the country to attempt to dislodge Maduro. However, before this strategy fell apart, GorrÃn managed to secure a photo with then-Vice President Mike Pence during an event in Florida, thanks to Rivera’s influence.
Further, Rivera also arranged meetings involving Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for Secretary of State, whom Rivera has a close connection with, sharing a history as roommates when both served as lawmakers in Florida. Additionally, evidence from previous court documents and lawsuits suggests Rivera tried to organize a flight and a meeting on GorrÃn’s jet for a female adviser turned White House ‘counselor’ on June 27, 2017. On that same day, Kellyanne Conway, a Trump aide, was in Miami for a Republican fundraising dinner. Conway later affirmed that all her travel arrangements were managed by the Secret Service, denying any private flights.
Rivera’s career, which includes a tenure in Congress from 2011 to 2013, has been fraught with controversy. This includes orchestrating unrecognized funding for a Democratic candidate in a South Florida race, aimed at challenging his main competitor. Additionally, investigations have scrutinized Rivera for potentially hiding a $1 million contract with a gambling firm and misappropriating campaign funds, already reimbursed by the state, for state House activities.
While Rivera has denied any misconduct regarding lobbying activities for Venezuela’s government, he continues to face significant legal hurdles, including counterclaims from Maduro’s adversaries. These ongoing cases highlight the intricate legal challenges surrounding international lobbying and the complexities of foreign relations in modern politics.
Source: News4jax
