A federal jury in Miami delivered a staggering blow to a high-profile political circle on Wednesday, convicting former U.S. Congressman David Rivera and lobbyist Esther Nuhfer for running a massive, secret influence campaign on behalf of the Venezuelan government.
The verdict follows a trial that pulled back the curtain on a $50 million contract designed to buy access to the highest levels of the American government while funneling millions into luxury real estate and political campaigns.
The scheme centered on a lucrative deal with a subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), Venezuela’s state-controlled oil giant. Prosecutors proved that Rivera, 60, and Nuhfer, 51, acted as unregistered foreign agents to push the interests of the Nicolas Maduro regime in Washington.
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Despite the legal requirement to disclose such work under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), the pair operated in the shadows, using coded text messages to coordinate meetings between U.S. policymakers and high-ranking Venezuelan officials.
During the trial, evidence revealed that the duo targeted influential figures, including then-U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Pete Sessions, to broker discussions with Maduro and Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez.
“These convictions expose a simple truth: the defendants sold access and influence to a hostile foreign regime for money,” stated U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. He noted the particular sting of the betrayal in South Florida, a community where many residents have personal histories of fleeing the very oppression the defendants were paid to represent.
The financial trail was equally damning. Investigators found that Rivera diverted roughly $600,000 of the contract money to prop up his own Florida state congressional campaign and cover personal costs.
Nuhfer, meanwhile, used $455,000 of the proceeds to purchase a home in Key Colony Beach. Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge for IRS Criminal Investigation, noted that the case boiled down to “following the money,” proving that no level of political influence could shield the pair from financial scrutiny.
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FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles emphasized that the case sends a warning to others who might consider trading national trust for personal profit.
“Our democratic processes are not for sale to foreign adversaries,” Skiles said, adding that the use of “coded language” did nothing to hide the conspiracy from federal agents.
Rivera was found guilty of conspiracy to violate FARA, money laundering, and four counts of engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property; he now faces up to 60 years in prison.
Nuhfer was convicted on similar charges and faces a maximum of 30 years. Both await sentencing by a federal district court judge.
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