Former Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla., was indicted for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and laundering funds to conceal his involvement in a corruption scheme led by Venezuelan national Raul Gorrín Belisario. The indictment accuses Rivera of acting as an agent for Gorrín, lobbying senior U.S. government officials to have Gorrín removed from a bribery list. Rivera allegedly created shell companies to hide his illegal activities in 2019 and 2020.
Under FARA, individuals working for foreign government interests must register with the U.S. government. This is not the first time Rivera has faced legal trouble, as he was previously arrested in 2022 for acting as an unregistered agent of the Venezuelan government.
The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case, but neither they nor Rivera’s attorney have commented on the indictment. Rivera released a statement calling the FARA allegations false and suggesting that the indictment was politically motivated, coming right before the Trump administration, which he believes will restore fairness to the justice system.
Rivera served in Congress from 2011 to 2013, and this latest indictment adds to his legal troubles related to alleged ties to the Venezuelan government.
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