Rubio testifies in trial of ex-Florida congressman allegedly hired by Maduro government to lobby for Venezuela

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is testifying Tuesday in the trial of former Miami congressman and roommate David Rivera, who is accused of trying to lobby members of Congress and the White House on behalf of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Rubio, testifying in a packed federal courtroom in Miami with heightened security, said he and Rivera became "very close" when both overlapped for six years as members of the Florida Legislature in the early 2000s. Rivera, a Republican, was arrested in December 2022 on charges of money laundering and representing a foreign government without registering.

In July 2017, Rubio said he got a call from Rivera saying he needed to see him urgently to discuss Venezuela. The next morning, Rivera traveled to Washington and, at a meeting at his home, said he was working with Raul Gorrin, a media magnate in Venezuela who was Rivera’s main conduit to the Maduro government, on a plan to persuade Maduro to step aside.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rubio-testifies-trial-ex-florida-congressman-allegedly-hired-maduro-government-lobby-venezuela