A federal jury in Miami has convicted former U.S. Congressman David Rivera and lobbyist Esther Nuhfer for secretly lobbying on behalf of the Venezuelan government and laundering millions of dollars tied to a $50 million contract connected to a subsidiary of the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA).
Prosecutors said the pair operated without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), while actively lobbying U.S. officials and facilitating high-level diplomatic access for Venezuelan interests. That included arranging contacts with figures such as then-U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Representative Pete Sessions, as well as meetings involving senior Venezuelan officials, including Nicolas Maduro and then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez.
According to evidence presented at trial, Rivera and Nuhfer used coded communications to conceal their activities while advancing what prosecutors described as the interests of Venezuela’s government. Authorities said Rivera diverted about $600,000 from the contract to support his political campaign and personal expenses, while Nuhfer used roughly $455,000 to purchase property in Florida’s Key Colony Beach.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the case exposed individuals who “sold access and influence” to a foreign regime, calling it a direct violation of laws meant to protect transparency in U.S. democracy. FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation officials said the defendants attempted to hide financial flows and political activity behind coded messaging and layered transactions, but were ultimately traced through financial records.
Rivera was convicted on multiple counts, including conspiracy to violate FARA and money laundering-related charges and faces up to 60 years in prison. Nuhfer was also convicted on FARA and financial crimes charges and faces up to 30 years. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge at a later date.
