Rubio Testifies as Key Witness in Rivera Foreign-Agent Trial
Key Takeaways
- Rubio says he had no knowledge Rivera lobbied for Maduro.
- First sitting Cabinet member to testify in a U.S. criminal trial since 1983.
- Rivera faces accusations of secretly lobbying Maduro for a $50 million contract.
Historic Testimony
Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered nearly three hours of highly unusual testimony on Tuesday in the federal trial of his longtime friend and former Florida congressman David Rivera.
“His testimony was highly unusual”
This marked the first time a sitting Cabinet member has testified in a criminal trial since 1983 when Labor Secretary Raymond Donovan testified at a Mafia trial.
Rubio, who faces no charges in the case, appeared as a prosecution witness after it became clear Rivera's defense team planned to call him.
The testimony drew heightened security at the Miami courthouse and created a stir as Rubio provided insights into his relationship with Rivera.
Rubio stated under oath, 'I would've been shocked' had he known Rivera was lobbying on behalf of Venezuela's government.
Friendship Details
Rubio provided detailed testimony about his close personal and political relationship with Rivera.
He described how they became 'very close' when they overlapped as members of the Florida legislature in the early 2000s.
The two Cuban-American Republicans co-owned a house in Tallahassee and celebrated family events together.
Rubio recounted an urgent 2017 meeting at his Washington home where Rivera informed him he was working with Venezuelan media magnate Raúl Gorrín.
Rivera described this as a plan for Maduro to step aside, to which Rubio responded, 'I was skeptical.'
Rubio nonetheless believed there was 'a 1% chance it was real' and was 'open to doing that' if he could alert the White House.
Trial Allegations
The trial centers on allegations that Rivera secretly lobbied for Venezuela's government without registering as a foreign agent.
“Anti-vaccine bills were the most common”
Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer face charges of money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent.
Prosecutors allege Rivera secured a $50 million contract from Maduro's government to normalize relations with Venezuela.
Rivera's attorneys argue the contract focused on luring Exxon Mobil back to Venezuela - commercial work exempt from FARA.
The pair are accused of arranging meetings for then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez with U.S. officials and business leaders.
Prosecutors contend they should have registered under FARA, while defense calls Rivera a 'freedom fighter' who opposed Maduro.
Covert Communications
The trial has revealed covert communications and code words used to disguise the lobbying activities.
Participants used a chat group called 'MIA' with code words like 'El Guaguero' for Maduro, 'Little Cuban' for Rubio, and 'melones' for millions of dollars.
The peacemaking effort collapsed when Gorrín failed to produce a promised letter from Maduro.
Following this collapse, Rubio delivered a Senate speech and a televised address to Venezuelans criticizing Maduro's 'fake election.'
Rubio testified he would never have participated had he known Rivera was working for Maduro.
The trial comes at an inconvenient time for Rubio as he manages Trump's foreign policy in Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba.
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