Ex-Miami congressman is convicted in a secret Venezuela lobbying case
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- Former Miami congressman David Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer were convicted for secretly lobbying on behalf of Venezuela's Maduro government, including failing to register as foreign agents and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
- The $50 million lobbying campaign aimed to influence the Trump administration to ease sanctions on Venezuela and normalize relations, using Rivera’s Republican connections, including U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Pete Sessions.
- Rivera and Nuhfer concealed their work through encrypted communications and sham agreements, fearing disclosure would damage Rivera’s anti-Communist political career.
- Defense attorneys argued their clients acted in good faith, focusing on commercial interests like ExxonMobil’s return to Venezuela, and denied any intent to normalize relations with Maduro’s regime.
- The case highlights Miami’s role in foreign influence operations targeting U.S. policy on Latin America and exposes complex ties between U.S. politicians and Venezuelan officials.
