Former Congressman David Rivera is receiving public and financial support from several prominent South Florida figures as he seeks release on bail while awaiting sentencing in his federal lobbying case.
According to court filings, multiple political allies, community leaders, and longtime associates have offered cash, property, and personal financial guarantees to help Rivera secure release pending his sentencing hearing later this summer.
Among those offering assistance are Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia and former Florida International University President Modesto “Mitch” Maidique, according to reports and court records.
Garcia reportedly offered her home as collateral, while Maidique pledged $100,000 toward Rivera’s bail package. Several other supporters also submitted letters vouching for Rivera’s character and reliability.
Rivera, a former Republican congressman from South Florida, was recently convicted on federal charges connected to lobbying work tied to Venezuela’s state oil company during the first Trump administration. Prosecutors argued Rivera failed to register as a foreign agent and participated in a money laundering conspiracy involving a reported $50 million consulting contract.
Federal Judge Melissa Damian previously denied Rivera release after trial, ruling that he posed a potential flight risk due to his access to financial resources and additional legal troubles in a separate federal case.
Supporters backing Rivera argued in letters to the court that the former congressman has longstanding ties to the South Florida community and should be allowed to remain free while awaiting sentencing.
“He is a man who has always put Florida and its people first,” Garcia wrote in a letter submitted to the court, according to reporting by the Miami Herald.
Rivera has long been a controversial but influential figure in Florida politics. Before serving one term in Congress from 2011 to 2013, he spent years in the Florida House of Representatives and was closely associated politically with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The federal case drew national attention earlier this year when Rubio testified during Rivera’s trial regarding contacts tied to Venezuela lobbying efforts. Prosecutors alleged Rivera attempted to leverage Republican political connections to influence U.S. policy toward Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Rivera has denied wrongdoing and maintains that his consulting work involved legitimate business activities connected to a U.S.-based subsidiary of Venezuela’s oil sector rather than direct lobbying for a foreign government.
He is currently awaiting sentencing in federal court in Miami.
