Ex-Rubio Ally Sentenced to 10 Years for Secret Lobbying

A former Florida congressman who helped launch Secretary of State Marco Rubio's political career is headed to prison for a decade. David Rivera, a Republican who served one term in the House, was sentenced Friday in Miami after a jury found he secretly took part in a $50 million influence campaign tied to Venezuela's government and then laundered the money, the Washington Post reports. Prosecutors said Rivera used longtime connections in Washington, including his relationship with Rubio to try to nudge the first Trump administration toward easing sanctions on Nicolas Maduro's regime, while failing to register as a foreign agent.

Rubio was not accused of wrongdoing and said he didn't know Rivera was being paid by a Venezuela-linked entity. The judge acknowledged the effort didn't appear to shift US policy but declined pleas for mercy from Rivera, 61, who has been in custody since his conviction in May and said he will appeal. "I don't deserve to die in prison," he told the judge, saying he has prostate cancer. "It's a death sentence." US District Judge Melissa Damian responded, "This is a serious offense," per the New York Times. Rivera's co-defendant, consultant Esther Nuhfer, previously received five years. Rivera faces separate tax and foreign-lobbying charges in Washington, DC.