Details on Marco Rubio's testimony in former roommate's illegal lobbying trial

CBS News
March 24, 2026
3 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in federal trial of former Rep. David Rivera, his ex-roommate, charged with illegally lobbying for Venezuela.

How This Affects You

U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela is shaped by the sitting Secretary of State; his past personal relationship with someone facing illegal foreign agent charges raises questions about the integrity of current State Department decision-making on Venezuela policy.

AI Summary

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified Tuesday in the federal case against former Rep. David Rivera, his ex-roommate, who faces charges of illegally lobbying on behalf of Venezuela. Rivera has denied the allegations against him. Rubio's appearance as a witness underscores the intersection of his past personal relationship with Rivera and his current role as the nation's top diplomat, a position that makes him a central figure in U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela. The case centers on whether Rivera improperly represented Venezuelan interests without registering as a foreign agent, a violation of federal law. Rubio's testimony could provide insight into Rivera's activities and their relationship during the period in question.

What's Being Done

Rubio testified as a witness in the federal case against Rivera, who is charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Source Coverage Map

4 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

Overlooked Story
9% coverage
Did Not Cover (39)
ICIJ97AP World News96AP News96AP US News96AP Top News96+34 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

Rubio to testify in trial of former roommate accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela
Politics

Rubio to testify in trial of former roommate accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to testify Tuesday in the trial of his former roommate, a one-time congressman who is accused of secretly lobbying on behalf of the Venezuelan government. CBS News Miami investigative reporter Jim DeFede has the details.

CBS NewsMar 23
Rubio to testify in trial of former roommate accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela - AP News
Politics

Rubio to testify in trial of former roommate accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxPNGNVemFWWjVNTzhZa2hwMEF5bGc0UTJMZHl0WFd1UXlIclpFcE16SjFqMmg0S05BZUdpQm15QldGTFF4X0xzWjlGYS10b3Q3MU80NVZNbFVFazZWcW1qUGVPSXlCSUhMSXRjaHVOS1VQZDA2dHllcVF6TzBnSFNmdHJKQXR1NHgtZ0V0T3NDQW40aldYc0tIRE5R?oc=5" target="_blank">Rubio to testify in trial of former roommate accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsMar 23
Rubio to testify in friend's trial over Venezuela oil deal
Politics

Rubio to testify in friend's trial over Venezuela oil deal

<p>Secretary of State <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/rubio-trump-iran-israel-attacks" target="_blank">Marco Rubio</a> is scheduled to testify Tuesday in the federal trial of former U.S. Rep. David Rivera (R-Fla.), a longtime political ally, friend and former housemate who's accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela's government.</p><p><strong>Why it matters</strong>: The only-in-Miami trial sheds light on the unseemly world of shadowy, big-dollar foreign influence efforts in Latin America — and underscores how politically toxic Rivera has been to Rubio's career.</p><hr><ul><li>Rubio asked to be called as a prosecution witness after it became clear that Rivera's team planned to call him as a defense witness — a potential embarrassment for the secretary, three sources tell Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>Friction point:</strong> The timing of the trial comes at an extremely inconvenient time for the secretary of state. He's helping President Trump manage the fallout of the Iran...

AxiosMar 24
Rubio to testify in trial of former congressman accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela
Politics

Rubio to testify in trial of former congressman accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela

The trial has begun for former congressman David Rivera over allegations he secretly lobbied for Venezuela's government during the first Trump administration.

PBS NewsHourMar 23
Ex-border patrol chief defends his record after exit: ‘I wish I’d caught more illegal aliens’
Politics

Ex-border patrol chief defends his record after exit: ‘I wish I’d caught more illegal aliens’

<p>Greg Bovino says Trump’s immigration crackdown hasn’t gone far enough in exit interview with the New York Times</p><p>As his retirement looms, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/gregory-bovino-analysis-minneapolis-alex-pretti">Gregory Bovino</a>, the US border patrol’s former commander-at-large, has contended that efforts to curb illegal immigration by Donald Trump’s administration have not gone far enough – showing no remorse over federal agents’ killings of two US citizens in Minneapolis in January.</p><p>“I wish I’d caught even more illegal aliens,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/us/gregory-bovino-border-patrol.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">he told the New York Times</a> Tuesday in an exit interview, during which he also referred to the Republican president as “the Trumpster” and acknowledged his retirement at the end of March was not entirely voluntary.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/24/gregory-bovino-border-patrol-...

The Guardian US NewsMar 24
U.S. military reveals more details about drone incursions at strategic base
National Security

U.S. military reveals more details about drone incursions at strategic base

A U.S. Northern Command counter-UAS system recently engaged its jamming protocol against multiple drone incursions, a spokesperson said. The post U.S. military reveals more details about drone incursions at strategic base appeared first on DefenseScoop .

Defense ScoopMar 24
Read Next
ICE deployments created chaos for cities and cost them millions, NPR analysis finds
Government Transparency

ICE deployments created chaos for cities and cost them millions, NPR analysis finds

Local leaders report already-strapped police departments racked up overtime bills in the millions while others report a multi-million dollar hit to business during the worst ICE surges.

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources