US: Former Congressman David Rivera Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

The former US representative was sentenced to prison after secretly lobbying for the Venezuelan government and receiving $20 million.

Former U.S. Representative David Rivera was sentenced to ten years in prison after being convicted of running a secret lobbying campaign for the Venezuelan government, CBS News and The Jerusalem Post reported.

According to federal prosecutors in Miami, Rivera operated on behalf of a "hostile foreign government" without registering as required by law. The reports noted that he received $20 million from a U.S. subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company to advance the regime's interests in Washington.

Further details regarding when he will begin serving his sentence have not yet been released.