Ex-US congressman Rivera sentenced to 10 years for Venezuela lobbying
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Former US Congressman David Rivera was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday for illegally lobbying US officials on behalf of Venezuela's government. US District Judge Melissa Damian handed down the sentence in federal court in Miami. Rivera was convicted in May of failing to register as a foreign lobbyist under FARA.
Key Facts
- David Rivera, a Republican who represented southern Florida from 2011 to 2013, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
- Prosecutors said Rivera was paid $20 million by the US subsidiary of Venezuela's state oil company.
- Rivera was convicted in May of lobbying US officials on Venezuela's behalf in 2017 without registering under FARA.
- US District Judge Melissa Damian imposed the sentence at a hearing in federal court in Miami.
The Sentence
US District Judge Melissa Damian sentenced former Congressman David Rivera to 10 years in prison on Friday. The hearing took place in federal court in Miami. Prosecutors had urged a significant term of incarceration, citing Rivera's work for a hostile foreign government.
The Conviction
Rivera was convicted at trial in May of lobbying US officials on Venezuela's behalf in 2017 without registering as a foreign lobbyist. The Foreign Agents Registration Act requires individuals to register when lobbying for foreign governments. Rivera, 61, pleaded not guilty and argued he was helping Venezuela's opposition remove Maduro from power. He was charged in 2022 during the Biden administration.
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