Former State Attorney David Rivera (R-Fla.) Was fined $ 456,000 by a federal court on Tuesday for his role in a campaign funding scheme.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida has ordered Rivera to pay the money to the Federal Electoral Commission (FEC), which sued him in 2017 for secretly extorting money in the 2012 election to a primary challenger to his ultimate. Democratic opponent in the 2012 election provided. to details set out in the court order.
Rivera won the election against the former Democratic Rep. Joe Garcia
Jose (Joe) Antonio Garcia Overnight Defense: Biden honors McCain during memorial service in Phoenix US considers sending imprisoned ISIS fighters to Gitmo and Iraq | Senators pressure Trump on ending Yemeni civil war Biden pays tribute to McCain during emotional memorial service Mueller accuses: Congress candidate has asked Russian agents for more information about the opponent. (Fla.).
The commission accused Rivera of starting the scheme in April 2012 when he ordered a collaborator, Ana Sol Alliegro, to provide financial support to Justin Sternad, one of Garcia’s three primary challengers, for his campaign. Sternad accepted the offer and Alliegro spent money on Sternad’s campaign over the next few months.
The court dismissed the initial charge against Rivera in 2018, and the FEC amended the charge in January 2019, accusing him of knowingly campaigning cash “in the name of another”.
The FEC said in a press release that it demanded a civil fine of $ 456,000.
The court found that Rivera sent $ 75 927.31 in campaign cash to Sternad. In addition to the fine, the court also permanently ordered Rivera to violate the campaign law again.
In her Order Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke described Rivera’s actions as ‘bad’, adding that there is a chance his behavior will continue to notice that he continues to appoint him after the scheme.
“Perhaps on the basis of the court that Rivera will be barred from similar illegal acts in the future, ‘it will do the trick’ to convince Rivera – a former US congressman – to stop breaking the law, ” he said. Cooke wrote.
Rivera tells The Miami Herald in a text that the order “is all based on lies, insinuations, hearsay and false news.”
According to the Herald, which was brought to light in 2012, Rivera was the first punishment imposed on the Rivera. The newspaper noted that Sternad and Alliegro had been convicted of criminal charges.