Venezuelan Lobbying Scandal Hits Former Congressman

A former U.S. Representative from Florida was convicted after a six‑week trial in Miami for secretly lobbying on behalf of the Venezuelan government. The case uncovered surprising ties between U.S. officials and a foreign regime.

During the proceedings, the defendant testified that he received a hefty fee from an American subsidiary of a state‑owned Venezuelan company in 2017 to influence U.S. policy. He failed to register as a foreign agent, violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires disclosure of such work.

A U.S. Secretary of State revealed that he had met with the former congressman about Venezuela without knowing the congressman was under contract with a Venezuelan oil firm. When asked how he would have reacted if he had known the congressman was working for Maduro’s administration, the secretary said it would have shocked him.

The defendant’s legal team argued that his lobbying aimed to help the Venezuelan opposition remove the president, not to aid the regime. The court rejected this claim and found him guilty of illegal lobbying.

The sentence imposed underscores the seriousness of unregistered foreign influence in U.S. politics and serves as a warning to other officials who might engage in similar conduct.