Rubio testifies he didn’t know of Venezuela allegations against former roommate

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified Tuesday that he had no knowledge of his longtime friend and former roommate David Rivera's connections to Venezuela, despite Rivera facing federal charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Rivera, a former Republican congressman from Florida who served from 2011-2013, is accused of undisclosed work on behalf of a foreign government. The testimony is significant because it establishes Rubio's distance from Rivera's alleged activities at a time when the State Department is leading the Trump administration's hardline Venezuela policy. Rubio and Rivera roomed together early in their political careers, raising potential questions about their ongoing relationship during the period Rivera allegedly engaged in unregistered foreign agent work. The case is part of a broader federal investigation into foreign influence operations in the United States.