MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 A federal jury in Miami found a former U.S. congressman and a lobbyist guilty of secretly working on behalf of the Venezuelan government in a multi-million dollar foreign influence scheme.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors say 60-year-old former Congressman David Rivera, a Republican and outspoken anti-communist who represented Florida\u2019s 25th District from 2011 to 2013, and lobbyist and political consultant, 51-year-old Esther Nuhfer, failed to register as foreign agents while lobbying U.S. officials and laundering millions linked to a $50 million contract with Venezuela\u2019s state-run oil company, Petr\u00f3leos de Venezuela, S.A.<\/a><\/p>\n According to court records, the pair used the contract to advance the interests of the Venezuelan government, including arranging meetings between U.S. policymakers and high-ranking officials, such as former President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodr\u00edguez, who is now the acting President of Venezuela.<\/p>\n Officials say Rivera and Nuhfer also lobbied U.S. leaders, including then-Senator and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> and U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions<\/a>, while using coded language in communications to conceal their actions.<\/p>\n See also: Suspect in Fort Pierce store manager killing allegedly boasted he felt ‘no remorse’<\/a><\/p>\n Federal officials say Rivera used $600,000 from the proceeds to fund a Florida state campaign and other personal expenses, while Nuhfer spent around $455,000 on a home in Key Colony Beach.<\/p>\n \u201cThese convictions expose a simple truth: the defendants sold access and influence to a hostile foreign regime for money,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Qui\u00f1ones.<\/a><\/p>\n