Ex-Congressman Rivera on Trial for Secret Venezuela Lobbying

0:00Former Congressman David Rivera is on trial in Miami for secretly lobbying Venezuela's government without registering as a foreign agent. Keywin is Brian Ballard, a top Trump ally and lobbyist, testified he cut ties with Rivera back in 2020 after learning Venezuela awarded him a $50 million contract. Ballard thought they were both pushing to oust Nicolas Maduro. Ballard and Rivera go way back, connected through Marco Rubio and anti-Maduro efforts early in Trump's first term. They got pulled in by Venezuelan media billionaire Raul Gourin, who pitched opposition work, but later faced money laundering charges. Ballard signed a small contract for Goren's network, but backed out fast over red flags and foreign agent rules. Reactions poured in as Ballard shared texts and emails showing his growing distrust. Rivera's team pushed for a mistrial, claiming prosecutors painted him as pulling Ballard into a plot, but the judge shut that down. Opposition figures like Leopoldo Lopez's wife denied any shady ties, calling out the

1:04risks. Prosecutors say Rivera used his GOP connections, including Rubio Pals, to soften U.S. policy on Venezuela for cash. Rivera, now 60, claims it was straight business consulting for a U.S. oil affiliate dodging registration laws. Other players like Pete Sessions and Delsey Rodriguez pop up in the mix. His trial peels back layers on Trump-era Venezuelan games, from secret meets to sanction fights. As a rap's key testimony, eyes stay on how these older lines is crumbled, and what it means for future U.S. moves down there. Stay informed with Durham News Today, AI-powered updates. I'm Corey with The Story.