MIAMI — A federal grand jury in Washington has issued an indictment against former Congressman David Rivera for allegedly neglecting to register as a foreign agent for a sanctioned Venezuelan media mogul, for whom the Miami Republican reportedly conducted lobbying activities with the Trump administration.
This indictment marks the second round of criminal accusations regarding Rivera’s connections with Raúl Gorrín, a billionaire who faced charges in 2018 and again in 2024 for bribing high-ranking Venezuelan officials in corrupt schemes to embezzle state resources during Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
The indictment, which was made public on Wednesday, asserts that between June 2019 and April 2020, Rivera engaged in lobbying efforts with U.S. officials, including a senior executive branch official whose name has not been disclosed, to lift sanctions imposed on Gorrín.
According to prosecutors from the U.S. Justice Department’s National Security Division, Rivera was purportedly assisted by another unnamed former U.S. official residing in New York. Rivera allegedly provided this individual $125,000 from the over $5.5 million he received from Gorrín or on his behalf.
The charges against Rivera encompass money laundering and failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which mandates registration when lobbying U.S. officials on behalf of foreign entities.
In an attempt to facilitate his criminal enterprises, Rivera allegedly established fictitious shell companies registered in Delaware, utilizing names associated with a law firm and the unnamed official as well as the official’s hometown to create a façade of legitimacy. Prosecutors indicated that the official was unaware that the shell corporations were using their name and location.
Ed Shohat, a defense lawyer in Miami representing Rivera, refrained from making comments, stating he had not yet conferred with his client regarding the indictment.
In 2022, Rivera was arrested in a separate illegal lobbying investigation connected to a $50 million consulting contract signed by his firm, Interamerican Consulting, with a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela’s state-operated oil company, PDVSA. Prosecutors maintain that this 2017 contract served as a cover for a clandestine effort by Maduro’s administration to influence the incoming Trump government.
The outreach attempt from Maduro’s administration was facilitated by Trump’s incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, who worked as a lobbyist for Gorrín’s TV channel, Globovisión; however, the effort ultimately proved unsuccessful. In 2019, Trump acknowledged opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the rightful leader of Venezuela and imposed stringent oil sanctions on the country in a move to oust Maduro.
Before this effort fell apart, Gorrín, with Rivera and others’ assistance, managed to capture a photograph with then-Vice President Mike Pence at an event in Florida. Rivera and Gorrín also met with Senator Marco Rubio, who was selected by Trump for Secretary of State and who had previously been Rivera’s roommate during their time as state lawmakers in Tallahassee.
Additionally, Rivera aimed to organize a potential meeting and flight on Gorrín’s private aircraft for a female campaign adviser, who later became a White House counselor, on June 27, 2017. This date coincided with Trump aide Kellyanne Conway’s presence in Miami for a fundraising event with Miami Republicans.
Conway has not responded promptly to requests for comments about Rivera’s recent indictment.
Rivera also attempted to involve Texas Representative Pete Sessions in facilitating a meeting for Venezuela’s foreign minister with Exxon executives, which was particularly relevant because Exxon was headquartered in Sessions’ district at the time.
From 2011 to 2013, Rivera served in Congress but has faced various election-related controversies, including leading a scheme to secretly fund an unknown Democratic candidate to contest against his primary opponent in a South Florida congressional election, along with a state investigation into hiding a $1 million contract with a gambling entity. This investigation has also entailed potential misuse of campaign funds for state House activities previously reimbursed by the state.
Rivera has consistently dismissed any claims of illegal lobbying on behalf of the Venezuelan government and is currently pursuing a countersuit against Maduro’s adversaries in federal court.
