Indictment: Rivera, codefendant signed contract to work on Venezuela's behalf
MIAMI - Law enforcement officers arrested former Miami Congressman David Rivera Monday in Atlanta, Georgia, where he made his initial court appearance before a federal magistrate judge.
On November 16, 2022, Rivera was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of Florida.
According to the 34-page document, former Republican congressman and his former political consultant Esther Nuhfer negotiated on behalf of the Venezuelan government - without disclosing it to the US government or officials they met with.
That's the reason they are accused of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by lobbying politicians and others for the normalization of relations with Venezuela in 2017, which included working on a legal dispute with a US oil company and against sanctions.
The indictment states the two never notified the US government or the officials with whom they met that they were being paid by Venezuela, concealing their payments from scrutiny.
The document alleges the conspiracy played out from February 2017 to December 2018, involving people at the highest levels of the Venezuelan government.
Rivera and his codefendant allegedly signed a contract worth $50 million to work on Venezuela's behalf without notifying the US government, working to resolve the oil company's legal dispute by engaging an unnamed Texas congressman.
According to the federal documents, "the final contract signed by Rivera provided for five installment payments of $5,000,0000 and a final payment of $25,000,000 for a total of $50,000,000.
Later in 2017, Rivera is accused of refocusing his lobbying efforts involving a Florida senator to further Maduro's goal of normalizing relations with the US.
One month later, US. Senator 1, identified by his office as Senator Marco Rubio was mentioned as having a meeting with (the president of the United States) at 9 a.m. to tell him that he has a possibility in his hands to solve the crisis of "Venezuela"
On April 2, 2018, thanks to Rivera and Nufher's help, the congressman met with Maduro in Venezuela - Pete sessions is said to have traveled then.
The whereabouts of Nuhfer are unknown, CBS 4 went to some of the addresses listed as her properties on the indictment The addresses were SW Miami, another one in Doral, at one of the properties the tenant said, the house is under the name of Esther; yet, she has never seen her.
The last address visited was in S.W. Miami-Dade, but nobody responded.
Neighbors said Nuhfer and her husband live in the house. However, they have not seen them in days.
Over 10 properties are listed on the indictment belonging to Nufher. The federal government says they could all be seized if she is convicted.
