A former congressman is set to face a judge as his trial gets underway in a Miami courtroom. David Rivera arrived to the federal court house in downtown Miami, Wednesday morning. Rivera and an associate were charged in 2022 with money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent. T he charges were filed after, prosecutors said, Rivera received a $50 million dollar lobbying contract from then Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Prosecutors allege that the contract was made to persuade the White House to normalize relations with Venezuela. Rivera’s attorneys said the contract was exclusively meant to lure Exxon Mobil back to Venezuela, which would be exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Rivera’s former roommate and friend, testified in court Tuesday. Rubio said he “would’ve been shocked” if he knew about the allegations. ...read more read less