Trial Reveals Former Florida Lawmaker Advised Venezuelan Businessman to Mislead Herald About Meeting With Vice President Pence

Former Florida congressman David Rivera advised a Venezuelan businessman to mislead reporters about a 2017 meeting with then–Vice President Mike Pence, according to evidence presented at Rivera's federal trial in Miami where prosecutors seek to demonstrate that he and his associates concealed what they describe as a broader lobbying effort tied to Venezuela's government.

In one email exchange revealed in the trial, Rivera instructed businessman Raúl Gorrín to deny to the Miami Herald that he had participated in any lobbying or private meeting with Pence. Instead, Rivera suggested Gorrín say their interaction occurred publicly at an event at Florida International University, not during a private breakfast in Miami.

Gorrín, a wealthy media executive with ties to the Venezuelan government who is currently detained in Venezuela and wanted by U.S. authorities on corruption and money laundering charges, has long been a central figure in investigations into financial networks linked to Caracas.

Prosecutors in the Rivera trial argue the guidance was intended to avoid triggering requirements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which mandates disclosure when individuals lobby on behalf of foreign governments, as The Miami Herald reports.

According to court records Rivera also coached Gorrín to deny contact with U.S. officials including Marco Rubio and then-Rep. Pete Sessions, and to reject any suggestion that he had hired Rivera or engaged in a coordinated effort to influence U.S. policy toward Venezuela.

Evidence presented at trial, however, shows that meetings with Rubio did take place in 2017, including discussions about a potential political transition in Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro.

During testimony from now Secretary of State Rubio during the first days of the trial he told the court he was unaware of Rivera's alleged ties to the Venezuelan government and "would've been shocked" had he known.

Rubio added that he initially entertained the possibility of facilitating a transition in Venezuela but later described a key meeting with Gorrín as "a total waste of my time." He also revealed he had been warned of a potential assassination threat linked to a senior Venezuelan official following those interactions.

The case centers on a $50 million consulting contract Rivera secured in 2017 with PDV USA, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state oil company. Prosecutors allege the agreement served as a cover for lobbying efforts aimed at easing U.S. sanctions and improving relations with Caracas. Rivera and co-defendant Esther Nuhfer have pleaded not guilty, arguing the work was commercial and did not require registration as foreign agents.