Ex-GOP Rep. David Rivera convicted of secretly lobbying U.S. officials on behalf of Venezuela

Former Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla., was found guilty in federal court in Miami on Friday on all counts in connection to him receiving a $50 million contract to secretly lobby U.S. officials to ease sanctions on Venezuela when Nicholas Maduro was in power

Former Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla., was found guilty in federal court in Miami on Friday on all counts in connection to him receiving a $50 million contract to secretly lobby U.S. officials to ease sanctions on Venezuela when Nicholas Maduro was in power.

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Rivera, a former roommate and longtime friend of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, faced charges of acting as an unregistered agent for Venezuela and conspiring to commit money laundering and tax evasion. He served in the House from 2011 to 2013 and previously served in Florida's legislature.

The jury convicted both Rivera and an associate, Esther Nuhfer, at the end of a five-week trial that featured testimony from Rubio, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and a Washington lobbyist. They said during the trial they were shocked to learn belatedly of Rivera’s consulting contract with a U.S.-based affiliate of Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA.