Rubio Testifies in Former Congressman’s Venezuela Lobbying Trial

In a heavily secured Miami courtroom, the secretary of state described a long and close relationship with Rivera.
Rubio Testifies in Former Congressman’s Venezuela Lobbying Trial
Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing the White House on March 20, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio took the witness stand on March 24 in the federal trial of former U.S. Rep. David Rivera (R-Fla.), a longtime friend of his who is accused of secretly lobbying on behalf of Venezuela’s government.

While Rubio has not been accused of wrongdoing, prosecutors argue that Rivera viewed him as a key way to gain access to the White House—underscoring how personal political relationships may have been leveraged in an alleged foreign influence campaign.

Jackson Richman
Jackson Richman
Reporter
Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.
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