Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Testify in Ex‑Rep. David Rivera’s Foreign‑Agent and Money‑Laundering Trial Over Alleged Secret Lobbying for Venezuela’s Maduro
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to testify in the Miami federal trial of former Rep. David Rivera, who is charged in an 11‑count indictment with money‑laundering and acting as an unregistered foreign agent over an alleged $50 million, three‑month 2017 contract to lobby the Trump administration on behalf of Venezuela and a U.S. PDVSA/CITGO affiliate. Rubio — identified in the indictment as “U.S. Senator 1” and slated to be the first sitting Cabinet member in decades to testify at a criminal trial — was called as a prosecution witness after Rivera’s defense signaled it would call him; prosecutors say the case is about “greed and betrayal,” while the defense insists Rivera’s work was commercial consulting exempt from FARA.
📌 Key Facts
- The federal trial of former Rep. David Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer formally began Monday in Miami federal court; they were indicted in 2022 on an 11‑count indictment alleging money laundering and failure to register as foreign agents tied to a 2017, three‑month, $50 million contract with a PDVSA/CITGO entity.
- Prosecutors say the $50 million contract was brokered via then–Venezuelan foreign minister Delcy Rodríguez and that Rivera and Nuhfer made a pact to secretly lobby on behalf of Nicolás Maduro’s government; sources note Delcy Rodríguez is now serving as interim president after the U.S. removed Nicolás Maduro in January and brought him to the U.S. for prosecution on narco‑terrorism–related charges.
- Prosecutors allege Rivera communicated with Venezuelan media tycoon Raúl Gorrín via an encrypted “MIA” chat using code names — e.g., “bus driver” for Maduro, “The Lady in Red” for Delcy Rodríguez, “Sombrero” for Rep. Pete Sessions, and “melons” for millions — as part of the scheme.
- U.S. prosecutor Roger Cruz framed the case as about “greed and betrayal,” accusing Rivera and Nuhfer of secretly lobbying for Maduro and Delcy Rodríguez.
- Rivera’s defense says he was doing commercial work for a U.S. CITGO subsidiary (not PDVSA directly), claiming the contract aimed to lure Exxon back to Venezuela and was therefore exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act; the defense stressed failed attempts to lobby Kellyanne Conway, says meetings with Rubio were unrelated to the alleged Maduro‑linked consulting, and portrayed the case as unfounded.
- Marco Rubio is identified in the indictment as “U.S. Senator 1”; he told the FBI in 2020 that a 2017 meeting with Raúl Gorrín was pitched as discussing a “peaceful transition” in Venezuela, and he has publicly said Rivera’s lobbying “had nothing to do” with him.
- Rubio will testify in the Miami trial (scheduled for Tuesday) after specifically asking to be called by prosecutors once Rivera’s defense signaled it would call him; his appearance would make him the first sitting U.S. secretary of state — and a sitting Cabinet member in more than 40 years — to testify in a criminal trial.
- Observers and reporting note the trial’s timing is politically sensitive and “extremely inconvenient” for Rubio, who is concurrently managing foreign‑policy crises including fallout from the Iran war, Venezuela regime change, and tensions over U.S. policy toward Cuba.
📊 Relevant Data
A poll found that nearly two-thirds (65%) of Venezuelans living abroad support U.S. military intervention to topple Nicolás Maduro, contrasting with lower support among the general U.S. population (around 33%).
Almost Two-Thirds Of Venezuelans Living Abroad Support a U.S. Military Intervention To Topple Maduro, Poll Shows — Latin Times
Recent FARA criminal cases from 2024-2025 have resulted in mixed outcomes, including a conviction with a 14-year prison sentence (Pras Michel), a guilty plea with a 1-year sentence (Dale Bendler), a mistrial (Linda Sun), indictments proceeding to trial (Sue Terry, Daniel Rivera), and dismissals or pardons (Henry Cuellar pardoned, Michael McMahon received clemency).
FARA Enforcement in 2025: From the Bondi Memo and NSPM-7 to Case Resolutions and Quieter Administrative Developments — Mayer Brown
The U.S. designated Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in March 2021 and extended it in September 2023, allowing approximately 545,000 Venezuelans to live and work legally in the U.S. due to extraordinary conditions in Venezuela, but the Trump administration terminated the designation effective October 3, 2025.
Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: Venezuela — USCIS
According to HUD estimates, immigration accounted for roughly two-thirds of total rental demand growth nationwide between 2020 and 2023, and up to 100% of housing demand growth in some regions, contributing to rising rental costs.
Fact Check Team: Immigration's impact on rising U.S. rental costs — CBS 6 Albany
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that Rubio’s testimony is scheduled for Tuesday in the Miami trial, making him the first sitting Cabinet member in more than 40 years to take the stand in a criminal trial.
- Reiterates that Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer were indicted in 2022 on charges of acting as unregistered foreign agents for Venezuela and money laundering, specifically alleged lobbying of the first Trump administration on behalf of Nicolás Maduro.
- Adds detail that Rubio was a target of Rivera’s alleged efforts to influence the Trump White House and underscores Rubio’s past public statement that he worked closely with Rivera "but not on this" and that "there’s not a single person claiming otherwise."
- Confirms that Delcy Rodríguez, formerly Venezuela’s foreign minister, is now serving as interim president after the U.S. removed Nicolás Maduro in January and brought him to the U.S. for prosecution on narco‑terrorism–related charges.
- Clarifies that prosecutors frame the alleged scheme as a $50 million, three‑month contract in 2017 to lobby the first Trump administration via a U.S.-based PDVSA subsidiary operating under the CITGO name.
- Provides detailed summary of defense arguments in opening statements that Rivera’s work was commercial and focused on bringing Exxon back to Venezuela, which they argue exempts him from FARA.
- Restates and contextualizes Rubio’s prior CBS comments that Rivera’s lobbying had 'nothing to do' with him or their relationship and that 'there’s not a single person claiming otherwise.'
- Spells out that attempts to lobby Kellyanne Conway failed, while two meetings with Rubio were arranged, which the defense claims were unrelated to the alleged Maduro‑linked consulting work.
- Rubio specifically asked to be called as a prosecution witness after Rivera’s defense team signaled it would call him, according to three Axios sources.
- Axios confirms Rubio will be the first sitting U.S. secretary of state in recent history to testify in a criminal trial.
- The article details that Rivera and co-defendant Esther Nuhfer are charged in an 11-count indictment involving money laundering and failure to register as foreign agents for Nicolás Maduro’s government, centered on a $50 million 2017 contract with CITGO.
- Rubio is identified in the indictment as 'U.S. Senator 1' and told the FBI in 2020 that a 2017 meeting with businessman Raúl Gorrín was pitched as discussing a 'peaceful transition of power' in Venezuela.
- Prosecutor Roger Cruz is quoted in opening statements describing the case as about 'greed and betrayal' and alleging the defendants made a pact to secretly lobby for Maduro and Delcy Rodríguez.
- Defense lawyer Ed Shohat likens the case to Seinfeld 'about nothing,' arguing Rivera tried to remove Maduro from power rather than help him stay.
- The piece situates the trial’s timing as 'extremely inconvenient' for Rubio, who is simultaneously helping manage fallout from the Iran war, Venezuela regime change, and Trump’s stated plans to 'take' Cuba.
- Confirms that the federal trial of former Rep. David Rivera formally began Monday in Miami federal court.
- Details that prosecutors allege Rivera secured a $50 million, three‑month lobbying contract to be paid by Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, brokered via then–Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez, now Venezuela’s acting president.
- Adds that prosecutors say Rivera set up an encrypted 'MIA' chat with media tycoon Raúl Gorrín, using code names such as 'bus driver' for Nicolás Maduro, 'The Lady in Red' for Delcy Rodríguez, 'Sombrero' for Rep. Pete Sessions, and 'melons' for millions of dollars.
- Reports defense counsel’s opening argument that Rivera worked for a U.S. Citgo subsidiary, not PDVSA directly, and that his $50 million contract was supposedly commercial work to lure Exxon back to Venezuela and thus exempt from FARA.
- Provides prosecutor Roger Cruz’s framing quote that the case is about 'two things: greed and betrayal' and accuses Rivera and co‑defendant Esther Nuhfer of making 'a pact to secretly lobby for Nicolás Maduro.'