Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in a Miami federal courtroom in the criminal case against former U.S. Rep. David Rivera, who is accused of illegally lobbying for the Venezuelan government. Prosecutors say Rivera secured a roughly $50 million contract with Venezuela and was paid about $20 million. Rivera, a onetime friend and roommate of Rubio from the 1990s, denies wrongdoing and faces charges including money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent.
Rubio took the stand shortly before 10 a.m., dressed in a dark-blue suit. When a prosecutor asked whether he was employed, Rubio replied, “I have two jobs. I’m secretary of state, and I’m also the national security advisor,” a remark that drew laughter in the courtroom. He recounted his long friendship with Rivera and said he was unaware that Rivera had allegedly been working for the Venezuelan regime.
Rubio described two meetings with Rivera in 2017. According to Rubio’s testimony, Rivera told him he could produce a letter from Nicolás Maduro promising to step down and to hold free and fair elections; that letter and the promised outcome never materialized. Rubio’s appearance on the stand lasted about four hours. He is not accused of any wrongdoing in the case.
Before Rubio testified, Rivera appeared upbeat and told a reporter he would comment after Rubio’s testimony. The trial is expected to last several weeks. One of the more unusual courtroom moments came at the end of Rubio’s testimony when a defense attorney asked him to autograph an autobiography the attorney had brought — an odd scene during an appearance by a sitting cabinet member, an occurrence described as rare since the Reagan era.