Ex-congressman faces new allegations
A former Miami congressman who signed a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela’s socialist government not only did no apparent work, but also channeled a large chunk of the money to a yacht company on behalf of a fugitive billionaire, according to new allegations in a civil suit.
The accusations against former Congressman David Rivera come in a new filing Friday in New York federal court by opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who now control the U.S.based affiliates of the South American nation’s state oil company.
Rivera’s Interamerican Consulting was sued in 2020 by PDV USA — a Delaware-based affiliate of Venezuelan-owned Citgo.
The same contract has been the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in Miami.
Rivera has not been charged with any crime, but the new filings give a detailed look at his dealings with Venezuela’s state-run oil industry and how he allegedly spent the money he received.