Marco Rubio Says He 'Would've Been Shocked' to Know Friend and Former Lawmaker Was Lobbying for Maduro

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified that he had no knowledge his longtime friend, former Florida congressman David Rivera, was allegedly lobbying on behalf of Venezuela's government, telling a federal court he "would've been shocked" to learn of such ties.

Rubio's testimony came during Rivera's trial in Miami, where prosecutors accuse him of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Nicolás Maduro's regime as part of a $50 million lobbying scheme launched in 2017. Rivera and co-defendant Esther Nuhfer have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy and failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Taking the stand for nearly three hours, Rubio described a series of meetings with Rivera early in the first Trump administration, when the former lawmaker approached him with what he said was a plan involving Venezuelan businessman Raúl Gorrín to push Maduro from power.

Rubio said he was skeptical but open to relaying information if it proved credible."If there was a 1% chance it was real ... I was open to doing that," he testified, according to The Associated Press.

Prosecutors argue the effort was not aimed at regime change but at influencing U.S. policy to ease pressure on Maduro. They allege Rivera used political connections, including access to Rubio, to advance the interests of Venezuela's government while concealing the true nature of his work. According to court filings, Rivera was paid roughly $20 million through a contract tied to Citgo, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state oil company.

The case centers in part on the role of current interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez, who, prosecutors say, authorized the contract while serving as foreign minister. They allege Rivera sought to arrange meetings between Rodríguez and U.S. officials and business leaders as part of a broader effort to improve relations with Washington. "This case is about two things: greed and betrayal," prosecutor Roger Cruz said in opening statements.

Rivera's defense has argued the contract was commercial, aimed at attracting investment to Venezuela's energy sector, and therefore exempt from registration requirements. His attorneys also maintain that his interactions with Rubio were consistent with efforts to remove Maduro from power, not support his government.

Rubio testified that he later used talking points provided by Rivera in a Senate speech signaling the U.S. would not retaliate against Venezuelan insiders who defected. He also alerted the president that there might be developments in Venezuela, but said the initiative quickly unraveled. "It was a total waste of my time," Rubio said of a subsequent meeting in which promised evidence failed to materialize.