An indictment was unsealed on Wednesday by the Department of Justice, targeting a former congressman from the Miami area for allegedly earning over $5.5 million as an unregistered foreign agent for a sanctioned Venezuelan businessman.
The indictment claims that former Rep. David Rivera (R-Fla.), who served a single term in the House from 2011 to 2013, neglected to register as a foreign agent. It further alleges that he set up “fraudulent shell companies” and created “false and fraudulent documents” to hide his activities.
While federal law permits individuals and companies, including former congress members, to act as foreign agents, they must register and disclose their actions to the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Raúl Gorrín remains sanctioned as former congressman David Rivera faces serious allegations
In January 2019, Raúl Gorrín Belisario was sanctioned by the Treasury Department due to his involvement in a bribery scheme linked to an illegal foreign exchange operation with the Venezuelan Office of the National Treasury.
The indictment states that from approximately June 2019 to April 2020, Rivera engaged in lobbying efforts aimed at removing Gorrín from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List).
As of the latest update on Wednesday, The Hill confirmed that Gorrín remains on the SDN List. For his lobbying services, Rivera is alleged to have received over $5.5 million via intermediary companies based in Hong Kong.
According to the indictment, these funds were channeled through his firm, Interamerican Consulting, which he allegedly used to compensate an individual assisting in the lobbying efforts for Gorrín. Rivera is also accused of diverting a portion of these funds to a shell company to pay another lobbyist.
Attempts to reach Rivera for comment via the email listed in his firm’s incorporation records were unsuccessful. His attorney, Ed Shohat, opted not to comment on the situation.
Rivera’s history is marred by allegations of not registering as a foreign agent. In 2022, he and one of his former political consultants were arrested for their involvement with Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the state-owned and -controlled oil company.
This indictment, consisting of eight counts, claimed that Rivera was paid $50 million to lobby for easing U.S.-Venezuela tensions, resolving a legal dispute with a U.S. oil company, and preventing additional economic sanctions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his political associates. The case is currently proceeding in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
