Rubio Testifies in Rivera's Lobbying Trial

0:00It's March 24th. Welcome in. This is Canada News Today, where local news meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. Secretary of State Marco Rubio took the stand Tuesday to testify about his interactions with former Miami Congressman David Rivera from nearly 10 years ago. Rivera faces charges of money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent after landing a $50 million lobbying contract from Venezuela's government under Nicolas Maduro. The two men go way back as longtime friends. Rubio explained the overlap for six years in the Florida legislature and grew very close during that time in Tallahassee. Prosecutors alleged Rivera and an associate used code words in private chats to hide efforts arranging meetings for top Venezuelan officials with U.S. leaders, lawmakers, and energy executives. The goal, according to the government, was to push the first Trump administration toward normalizing ties with Maduro's regime. Venezuela's defense insists his firm was hired by an American arm of Venezuela's state

1:01oil company for straightforward commercial work to bring Exxon back, which doesn't require foreign agent registration. They also claim Rivera separately worked with Venezuelan opposition forces to help Alstom Maduro portraying him as a dedicated anti-communism fighter. His lawyer called the prosecution's case preposterous during opening arguments. This marks a rare moment, as no sitting cabinet member has testified in a criminal trial since 1983. With Maduro now gone from power, the stakes feel different, but the trial presses on and made questions over foreign influence and lobbying rules.