Former U.S. Congressman David Rivera sentenced to 10 years for illegal lobbying for Venezuela

On Friday, October 2, 2026, a U.S. federal judge sentenced former Congressman David Rivera to 10 years in prison for illegally lobbying U.S. officials on behalf of Venezuela's government. Rivera, a Republican from Florida, was convicted in May 2026 for failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was paid $20 million by Venezuela's state oil company to influence the Trump administration to ease sanctions. The judge rejected his defense that the work was commercial, calling it a classic money laundering case. Rivera has been jailed since his conviction.