Former U.S. Congressman and Lobbyist Convicted for Acting as Unregistered Agents of Venezuela
A federal jury in Miami has convicted former U.S. Congressman David Rivera and lobbyist Esther Nuhfer for acting as unregistered agents of the Venezuelan government. The pair were found guilty of secretly lobbying on behalf of Venezuela and laundering millions of dollars in violation of the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). They secured a $50 million contract with a subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA, to advance the interests of the Venezuelan regime in the U.S. without registering as foreign agents. Rivera and Nuhfer used coded messages and laundered money to fund personal lifestyles and political campaigns. Rivera faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison, while Nuhfer faces up to 30 years. 
