Rubio to testify today in criminal trial of former congressman who used to be his housemate
CBSN
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to testify in federal court Tuesday in the ongoing criminal trial of former Florida Congressman David Rivera, who is accused of secretly lobbying for the Venezuelan government during the first Trump administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to testify in federal court Tuesday in the ongoing criminal trial of former Florida Congressman David Rivera, who is accused of secretly lobbying for the Venezuelan government during the first Trump administration.
Federal prosecutors allege that Rivera worked alongside his codefendant, Esther Nuhfer, to influence the first Trump administration on behalf of then-Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez with the goal of lowering political tensions and easing sanctions between the South American country and the U.S. Rodriguez is now the interim president, after the U.S. removed Maduro from power in January and brought him to the U.S. for prosecution on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy.
In 2022, Rivera and Nuhfer were indicted in the Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney's Office on money laundering charges and for failing to register as a foreign agent. Prosecutors allege that the pair were hired in a $50 million contract in exchange for three months of lobbying work in 2017 on behalf of a U.S.-based subsidiary of a Venezuela state oil company, PDVSA, which operates under the name CITGO.
In the indictment, Rivera and Nuhfer are accused of attempting to lobby Rubio, then a Republican senator from Miami, and former White House advisor Kellyanne Conway on behalf of people in the highest ranks of the Venezuelan government. The attempts to meet Conway were unsuccessful, prosecutors said, but added that the pair did arrange two meetings with Rubio, who is a longtime friend of Rivera's and had been an outspoken critic of the Maduro regime.
Rubio, who is currently heavily involved in the Trump administration's diplomatic efforts regarding the war in Iran, is set to be the first sitting member of the president's Cabinet to take the stand in a criminal trial since 1983. Rubio isn't charged with a crime in the case and has not been accused of doing anything illegal in his interactions with Rivera.
Polymarket is moving to quash insider trading as prediction markets face scrutiny over whether some users draw on classified or other closely held information to gain an edge in betting on events. Edited by Alain Sherter In:
Washington — Senate talks aimed at ending the 38-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security hit a new roadblock on Monday after President Trump called on Republicans to hold out for passage of an elections bill that Democrats strongly oppose. Nikole Killion contributed to this report.
Pope Leo XIV put the Rev. Edward Joseph Flanagan a step closer to possible sainthood Monday as he proclaimed the "heroic virtues" of the founder of Boys Town, a Nebraska home for at-risk youths that gained national renown and inspired an Oscar-winning biopic performance. In:
Washington — Amid Trump administration demands for Tehran to keep the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials have told CBS News that there are at least a dozen underwater mines through the vital passageway, according to current American intelligence assessments. Arden Farhi, Kathryn Watson, Caroline Linton, Aimee Picchi and Layla Ferris contributed to this report.
Elon Musk, famously a man with big ideas, is building a semiconductor plant vast enough to power those ambitions. Edited by Alain Sherter In:
The Justice Department has quietly gutted a more than 60-year-old program created to ensure that low-income and indigent immigrants can receive competent and affordable legal representation, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell CBS News. In:
Kyiv — The White House wants Congress to provide at least $200 billion more in funding for the war in Iran, and President Trump says that's partly due to aid for Ukraine having depleted U.S. weapons stockpiles as it fends off Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion. In:
A statue of Christopher Columbus has been placed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House — the latest effort by the Trump administration to honor the explorer whose legacy has drawn increasing criticism in recent years. In:
OnlyFans owner Leonid Radvinsky, a reclusive billionaire who transformed a little-known adult-content site into a cultural touchstone, has died of cancer, the company said Monday. Radvinsky was 43. Edited by Alain Sherter
Washington — President Trump said early Monday that he is postponing airstrikes on Iran's power plants after "very good and productive conversations" over the last two days about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran's foreign ministry denied any such talks. Claire Day contributed to this report. In:
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began deploying to some U.S. airports on Monday as a partial government shutdown causes shortages of Transportation Security Administration officers who have resigned or called out of work. Skyler Henry contributed to this report. In:
London — Police in London are investigating a suspected antisemitic hate crime after vehicles belonging to a Jewish ambulance service were set on fire early Monday morning. In:
Washington — The Supreme Court is considering Monday a major elections dispute involving whether federal law bars states from counting mail ballots that are postmarked by, but received after Election Day.