A federal grand jury in Washington has returned an indictment against former Congressman David Rivera for failing to register as a foreign agent of a sanctioned Venezuelan media tycoon. The indictment alleges that Rivera lobbied U.S. officials to remove sanctions against the Venezuelan businessman between June 2019 and April 2020.
Rivera allegedly received over $5.5 million for these activities but failed to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as required when contacting U.S. officials on behalf of foreign individuals and companies. He was also charged with money laundering in connection to the undeclared lobbying work.
To conceal his activities, Rivera allegedly created fake shell companies registered in Delaware using names associated with a law firm and an unnamed official, as well as the official's hometown. Prosecutors stated that the official was unaware that the companies were using his or her name and hometown.
This indictment is the second set of criminal charges to examine Rivera's relationship with the Venezuelan businessman, who has faced charges of bribing senior Venezuelan officials in corrupt deals to embezzle state funds from Nicolas Maduro's administration.
Rivera was previously arrested in 2022 in another illegal lobbying case tied to a $50 million consulting contract his firm signed with a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. Prosecutors alleged that the contract was a front to hide a secret campaign by Maduro's government to influence the incoming Trump administration.
Despite efforts by Rivera and others to influence U.S. officials, including meetings with then-Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Marco Rubio, the charm offensive ultimately failed. In 2019, Trump recognized opposition lawmaker Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader and imposed stiff oil sanctions on the OPEC nation in an attempt to unseat Maduro.
Rivera's legal representative declined to comment on the recent indictment, stating that he had not yet discussed the matter with his client. The case highlights the complexities and legal implications of lobbying on behalf of foreign entities without proper registration and transparency.
