Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified about his interactions with former Miami congressman David Rivera, who is accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela's government. Both Rivera and an associate are charged with money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent after receiving a $50 million lobbying contract from Nicolás Maduro's government in 2002. As part of their work, they are accused of trying to arrange meetings for then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez, now Venezuela’s acting president, with White House officials, members of Congress and the CEO of Exxon Mobil. Rubio testified that he and Rivera became close when they overlapped for six years as members of the Florida Legislature in the early 2000s. In July 2017, Rubio received a call from Rivera saying he needed to see him urgently to discuss Venezuela. He then delivered a speech on the Senate floor indicating that the U.S. would not retaliate against Venezuelan government insiders who worked to oust Maduro from power.