From crashing his car into a postal vehicle carrying his opponent's mailers, to funneling campaign cash through mama's consulting business, the more we learn about Republican David Rivera the more, well, fuzzy it gets.
The widget below chronicles the press over the past couple weeks and what they've been saying about Rivera's questionable sources of income.
RIVERA FALSELY CLAIMED TO WORK FOR FEDERAL AGENCY, USAID HAD NO RECORD OF HIS WORK THERE
Over the past seven years, Republican state Rep. David Rivera repeatedly said in sworn documents that his main source of income, outside of his salary from the Legislature, came from consulting work he did for the U.S. Agency for International Development.
But USAID has no record of ever hiring Rivera or his company."We do not have Mr. Rivera nor the corporations you referred to in our records,'' USAID press officer Annette Aulton told The Miami Herald in an e-mail.
When asked by The Herald about his work with USAID, Rivera gave conflicting explanations, first saying he won the USAID contracts through competitive bidding, but later saying he worked only as a subcontractor to other USAID contractors -- whom Rivera would not identify.
RIVERA REFUSES TO SAY WHO HE WORKS FOR
The Herald Continues:
However, Rivera would not provide The Herald with the names of any USAID contractors for which he worked. Sarah Bascom, a spokeswoman for Rivera's campaign, said Rivera could not release any information about his contracts without the approval of his clients.Rivera also could not provide tax returns or other records verifying his USAID consulting work because he was too busy campaigning for Congress, Bascom said.
RIVERA ALTERED HIS FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS AND THEY ARE NOW BLANK
After 7 years of lying about his sources of income, Rivera erased any mention of USAID on his disclosure forms. So what were his other sources of income?
HOW WAS RIVERA ABLE TO AFFORD 3 HOUSES AND A NEW CAR ON A $30,000 SALARY?
The Harold Notes, "In his original disclosure forms, Rivera detailed no additional sources of income beyond his $30,000 salary as a state representative from 2004 to 2009, records show."
The question remains unanswered, although maybe it is related to his mother's consulting firm, Millennium Marketing Strategies, which has received at least $30,000 in campaign funds from Rivera's operation.
RIVERA HAS NOT VOLUNTARILY DECLARED MORE INFORMATION THAN IS REQUIRED.
The lies continue.
In an interview with a Naples radio station two weeks ago, Rivera claimed that he disclosed even more financial information than the law required. I suppose "nothing" is more than the law requires, because that's what's on his forms.
RIVERA REFUSES TO NAME BUSINESS PARTNER IN PUERTO RICAN FIRM THAT MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST
Rivera continues to claim that USAID was his primary source of income, but said he worked for them as a subcontractor through a Puerto Rican company called Interamerican Government Relations as an "international development consultant.''
Rivera told The Herald "that he started the company with a partner he would not name. Corporate documents in Puerto Rico show only the existence of the company, but does not name the principals."
Further, it doesn't look like Rivera's firm, Interamerican Government Relations, exists. According to Eduardo Arosemena, assistant secretary of Puerto Rico's Department of State, "This corporation should have had a notification of cancellation since April 2006."
RIVERA IS BREAKING THE LAW BY CLAIMING HE WORKED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Federal law prohibits anyone from falsely claiming they work for the federal government when they do not.
18 U.S.C. Sec. 912. Officer or Employee of the United States:
Whoever falsely assumes or pretends to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the United States or any department, agency or officer thereof, and acts as such, or in such pretended character demands or obtains any money, paper, document, or thing of value, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
LAW SUIT FILED BY FL-25 RESIDENT TO REMOVE RIVERA FROM BALLOT
The suit, filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, says Rivera should be disqualified from running for office for violating state laws requiring public officials and candidates to file full and complete financial disclosure forms.For seven years, Rivera, a four-term state representative, declared in his disclosure forms that he was a consultant for the U.S. Agency for International Development. However, USAID has no record of ever hiring Rivera or his company. On Friday, Rivera amended his disclosure forms to omit USAID as a source of income.
Shockingly, charges were dismissed against the powerful state legislator.