Aug 15, 2012

David Rivera: Too Busy Defending Himself Instead of Florida Seniors

With Joe Garcia's victory tonight, Democrats have an opportunity to unseat corrupt career politician David Rivera (FL-26) who is deeply out of touch with Florida seniors and middle class families. With Congressman Paul Ryan and his Medicare-ending budget as his ticket mate, Congressman Rivera will be rejected by voters that want an honest and trustworthy defender of the middle class.

Congressman David Rivera's corruption and cover ups are now well known in South Florida. He remains under investigation by the FBI and IRS.  Even Marco Rubio, a long term friend of Congressman David Rivera has said Rivera's ethical issues are "serious." Unfortunately, South Floridians have come to expect that career politician David Rivera is only looking out for himself - not them.

Congressman Rivera is Wrong for the Middle Class and Seniors. Congressman David Rivera voted to end Medicare, raising health care costs for seniors, while protecting tax breaks for millionaires and corporations that ship American jobs overseas. Despite bi-partisan support for the DREAM Act from the South Florida delegation, Congressman Rivera continues to oppose the DREAM Act.

Congressman Rivera Voted for House Republican Budget That Would Turn Medicare Into Voucher Program. On March 29, 2012, Congressman Rivera voted in favor of a budget that would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit, protects $40 billion in tax breaks for big oil, and provides people earning more than $1 million a year with an average tax cut of $265,000. The Tampa Bay Times wrote, “Floridians should be concerned about all these misplaced priorities, but Medicare and Medicaid are particularly at risk. House Republicans would end the help seniors receive toward closing the prescription drug doughnut hole. Their plan would eventually raise Medicare’s eligibility age from 65 to 67. It would transform the safety net into a premium-support voucher program that provides government subsidies to private insurers, though beneficiaries could keep the current fee-for-service option.” [H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12; Tampa Bay Times, 3/31/12; New York Times Editorial, 3/20/12; Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; Tax policy Center, 3/23/12]

Honor Student Supports the DREAM Act While Rivera Continues to Oppose. “A Miami honor student and aspiring surgeon who faces deportation because her parents brought her here illegally at age 4 has put immigration policy, and Florida's U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, in the headlines [… ] [Daniela] Pelaez also has sought and received support from Republicans Rubio and U.S. Rep. David Rivera of Miami, who oppose the DREAM Act.” [Tampa Tribune, 3/6/12]

Rivera Continues to Face an IRS and FBI probe. Congressman David Rivera is still the focus of an FBI and IRS probe for possible tax evasion. The State Attorney’s Office established that Rivera engaged in ‘questionable financial practices,’ double billed Florida taxpayers for $30,000, and nearly charged Rivera with “52 counts of theft, money laundering and racketeering.”

Rivera Continues to Be Under Investigation by FBI and IRS. Rivera remains under IRS and FBI investigation for potential campaign finance violations and tax evasion. [Miami Herald, 4/18/12; Washington Post, 5/1/12]

Rivera’s Arrest “Seemed All But Certain” as He Faced 52 Count Complaint. “In the summer of 2011, the arrest of U.S. Rep. David Rivera seemed all but certain. Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement had waded through piles of credit-card receipts and banking records, tracing thousands of dollars from Rivera’s political campaigns to his personal accounts. Miami-Dade prosecutors were preparing a ‘draft’ complaint charging the Republican congressman with 52 counts of theft, money laundering and racketeering.” [Miami Herald, 7/15/02]

Rivera Was Not Charged was Because of Legal Loopholes. The investigators’ report makes clear that they believed Rivera had violated the law, but were prevented from prosecuting him because of legal ambiguities and excessively stringent statute of limitation requirements. To ensure that these time limitations would not prevent elected officials from facing prosecution in the future, the investigators recommended that the law reclassify these offenses to provide prosecutors enough time to conduct their inquires. [Memorandum from the State Attorney’s Office, 4/17/12]

Rivera Is a Career Politician Looking Out for Himself. Although South Florida families continues to struggle in this economy, Congressman David Rivera has relied on the perks and privileges of being a career politician. It’s no wonder he has struggled to raise campaign funds.

State Prosecutor’s Probe Revealed Rivera Lived Off Campaign Contributions For Nearly a Decade. “In a memo wrapping up their case, Miami-Dade prosecutors said Rivera ‘essentially live[d] off’ campaign contributions for almost a decade while serving as a part-time state lawmaker, paying mortgages on four different properties and jetting around the globe though he never held a full-time job or earned more than $28,000 a year. So how did he do it? Newly released FDLE investigative reports show that Rivera used back-dated campaign records, a web of bank accounts and undisclosed loans, a batch of credit cards and misleading disclosure forms to disguise his finances from the public eye during much of his eight-year tenure in the Florida Legislature.” [Miami Herald, 4/21/12]

Rivera’s Campaign Had Less than $250,000 Cash on Hand With Significant Debt. As of August 2012, Rivera’s congressional campaign had $245,639.42 cash on hand and was $132,573.58 in debt to media and fundraising consulting firms. [FEC, accessed 8/10/12]

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