DOJ indicts former Florida Rep. David Rivera

Michael Macagnone, CQ-Roll Call on Dec 18, 2024

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WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced the indictment of former Florida Congressman David Rivera on Wednesday, alleging Rivera acted as an unregistered agent of a Venezuelan businessman as part of a $5.5 million scheme.

The indictment in Washington federal court alleged Rivera, 59, worked on behalf of Raul Gorrín Belisario to get him removed from a federal sanction list starting in 2019. Rivera allegedly lobbied senior government officials on Gorrín’s behalf and created a series of shell companies, false invoices and more to hide the money he was paid.

The indictment alleged Rivera’s $5.5 million in payments were routed through several Hong Kong-based companies and to two individuals who helped him in his efforts.

As part of the scheme, Rivera invented companies in the names of a law firm and unnamed government official, referred to as Government Official-1 in the indictment, without their knowledge, the department said.

“In reality, these entities were not affiliated with the law firm or Government Official-1, and neither the law firm nor Government Official-1 were aware that Rivera had created shell companies in their names,” the announcement said.

Rivera has not been officially arraigned in the case or entered a plea, according to the court docket. Rivera’s lawyer in another case could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

Rivera, a Republican, served one term in Congress, from 2011 to 2013, representing a Miami-area district.

The indictment alleged that he violated the Foreign Agent Registration Act, a law that mandates that anyone who lobbies on behalf of foreign entities disclose the relationship with the federal government, and money laundering. The indictment included six counts in total: one of violating FARA and five of money laundering.

The FARA violation charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, while the money laundering charges each carry a maximum $500,000 fine and a 20-year prison term.

Wednesday’s indictment is not Rivera’s first entanglement with federal law enforcement. He is still facing charges connected to a 2022 indictment for failing to register as a foreign agent and money laundering for allegedly acting as an unregistered foreign agent on behalf of Venezuela in 2017.

Rivera has pleaded not guilty to those charges and hasn’t yet gone to trial.

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