Jury convicts former Florida congressman in Venezuela lobbying case

May 1, 2026

Former Florida Congressman David Rivera and his associate Esther Nuhfer were convicted of conspiracy and failing to register as foreign agents after secretly lobbying U.S. officials for Venezuela's government-owned oil company. Federal prosecutors demonstrated that the pair received a $50 million contract to improve relations between the U.S. and Venezuela during 2017-2018, when diplomatic tensions were high due to Trump administration sanctions. The defendants attempted to influence high-ranking officials including then-Senator Marco Rubio and White House advisor Kellyanne Conway without disclosing their foreign connections.

Who is affected

Former Congressman David Rivera (convicted and detained)
Political consultant Esther Nuhfer (convicted)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio (testified as witness, lobbied unknowingly)
Texas Congressman Pete Sessions (testified as witness, lobbied unknowingly)
Kellyanne Conway (former White House advisor who was lobbied)
Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA/Citgo
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government

What action is being taken

Rivera is being detained after the verdict
Nicolás Maduro is awaiting trial alongside his wife in New York on drug-related charges

Why it matters

This case highlights the importance of transparency in foreign lobbying and the enforcement of laws requiring registration as foreign agents. The conviction demonstrates that political figures cannot secretly influence U.S. policy on behalf of foreign governments, even when disguising such work through corporate subsidiaries. The case is particularly significant given the involvement of high-ranking officials including the current Secretary of State, showing how unregistered foreign influence campaigns can reach the highest levels of government without detection.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC