Ex-GOP lawmaker sentenced to 10 years in prison

A federal judge on Friday sentenced former Florida Congressman David Rivera to 10 years behind bars for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar lobbying campaign that operated on behalf of the Venezuelan government during the first Trump administration. Prosecutors said Rivera failed to disclose his role in the campaign, conduct that formed the basis of the criminal case against him. Rivera was taken into federal custody and remains detained without bond.

Rivera served as a Republican representative from Florida and has longstanding personal ties to Secretary of State Marco Rubio; he is described as a longtime friend and former roommate of Rubio. The sentencing marks a concluding phase of the prosecution's effort to hold accountable a former U.S. lawmaker for clandestine lobbying activity involving a foreign government.

Authorities portrayed the lobbying operation as substantial in scale, involving millions of dollars, though the specific mechanics and all participants in the campaign were central issues in the legal proceedings. The conviction and sentence reflect federal enforcement of laws requiring disclosure and registration for foreign lobbying and representation.

Rivera's detention without bond means he will begin serving the 10-year sentence while appeals or other post-conviction challenges proceed, if any are filed. The case underscores continued scrutiny by federal prosecutors of covert influence campaigns tied to foreign governments and the legal consequences for former officials who participate in them.