MIAMI — The federal trial of former Miami congressman David Rivera, accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela's government during the first Trump administration, begins Monday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to testify about his interactions with his old friend.
Prosecutors allege Rivera was a hired agent for former President Nicolás Maduro, leveraging Republican connections from his time in Congress to push the White House to abandon its hard line on Venezuela's socialist government. Rivera, who once shared a Florida home with Rubio and co-owned a house with him, allegedly persuaded then Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez — now Venezuela's acting president — to award him a $50 million lobbying contract to be paid by state oil company PDVSA.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans defending Rubio emphasize that he is not charged with any wrongdoing and that his testimony is cooperative, not indicative of culpability. The former senator's allies note that he was one of the loudest voices advocating for maximum pressure on Maduro, including a rare 2017 address to the Venezuelan people warning the president that his path would 'not end well.'
Conservative defenders argue Rivera's alleged activities represent the actions of a lone actor, not a broader Republican trend. They note that Rubio's outreach to Rivera was part of standard diplomatic engagement and that the senator ultimately supported the Trump administration's hard-line Venezuela policy. Additionally, Rivera's defense argues his consulting work was focused on positioning Venezuelan-owned Citgo in the U.S. energy industry and did not require foreign agent registration because it was with an American subsidiary, not PDVSA itself.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive critics and Democratic lawmakers are using the case to question the ethics of former Republican officials who maintain close ties to foreign governments. The indictment, unsealed in 2022, charges Rivera with money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent — violations that Democrats have long argued deserve rigorous enforcement regardless of party affiliation.
watchdog groups and some progressive voices note that Rubio's testimony, while he is not charged, raises questions about his judgment in maintaining relationships with individuals engaged in undisclosed foreign lobbying. They point to Rivera's text messages to Rubio in 2017 discussing Venezuelan negotiations as evidence that the senator was aware of Rivera's work with Gorrín, who had been charged in the U.S. with bribing top Venezuelan officials.
What the Numbers Show
The 11-count indictment charges Rivera with money laundering and failure to register as a foreign agent. Prosecutors allege Rivera received approximately $20 million from the alleged contract, of which $3.75 million went to a South Florida company that maintained luxury yachts for Venezuelan media tycoon Raúl Gorrín.
The alleged lobbying contract was worth $50 million to be paid by PDVSA. Rivera's defense notes the contract was with an American subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, which they argue did not require foreign agent registration.
Prosecutors say Rivera used an encrypted chat group called 'MIA' — for Miami — with code words including calling Maduro the 'bus driver,' Sessions 'Sombrero,' and millions of dollars 'melons.'
The last sitting Cabinet member to testify in a criminal trial was Labor Secretary Raymond Donovan in a 1983 mafia case.
The Bottom Line
The trial offers a rare glimpse into Miami's role in shaping U.S. policy toward Latin America and the complex web of relationships between exiles, political figures, and foreign governments. Rubio's testimony — unprecedented for a sitting secretary of state — will likely focus on his July 2017 meetings with Rivera and Gorrín, during which Rivera reportedly sought to facilitate U.S. support for a negotiated solution in Venezuela.
Key details to watch include whether Rodríguez testifies, how the defense distinguishes legal consulting from illegal foreign lobbying, and whether any evidence emerges connecting other Republican officials to the alleged influence campaign. The trial is expected to last several weeks.