Who Remembers Culture Of Corruption Poster Boy David Rivera (R-FL)?

Election pamphlet from a Republican primary battle

This week at a Virginia fundraiser, Romney revealed that the 3 top contenders on his VP short list are 2 extreme right-wing governors-- Bob McDonnell of the host state and Chris Christie of New Jersey-- and Florida's superficial proto-fascist junior senator, Marco Rubio. Interestingly, one of Rubio's former roommates, chief lieutenants and gangsterish business partners, Rep. David Rivera made it onto another short list at the same time: the list of sitting congressmen being investigated by the FBI and IRS on criminal tax evasion charges. The scandal-plagued congressman, with astounding ethics questions that have followed his entire sleazy career, is being investigated because he didn't pay taxes on a secret million-dollar contract he signed in 2006 between a casino and a company he had his mother front for him!

Investigators are looking at whether taxes were paid on a secret million-dollar contract Rivera signed in 2006 to manage a campaign to expand gambling in Miami-Dade County.

Among those being interviewed by FBI and IRS agents is Lori Weems, an attorney who helped draw up the contract between the owners of a Miami casino and a company linked to Rivera. Her attorney, Andres Rivero, says at least five other people are being interviewed as witnesses.

Rivera has denied he was paid for his work. The contract was made through a company started by Rivera’s mother and later run by a close family friend.

The Miami Herald Rivera's hometown paper, is on the case and reported this week that the Feds are "examining undisclosed payments from a Miami gambling enterprise" to the larcenous congressman.

Agents with the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service have begun interviewing witnesses knowledgeable about a $1 million consulting contract between Flagler Dog Track — now known as Magic City Casino — and Millennium Marketing, a company co-owned by Rivera’s 70-year-old mother and her business partner, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

In the next few weeks, federal agents are scheduled to interview Lori Weems, a lobbyist and lawyer who drafted the consulting contract while representing the Magic City Casino, sources said. Earlier this year, FBI agents also interviewed Esther Nuhfer, a Miami lobbyist and political consultant with close ties to Rivera, sources said.

Members of the Havenick family, who own the Magic City Casino, have cooperated with investigators, who appear to be examining federal tax-evasion charges.

If that last line is accurate, it's probably the end of the road for Rivera... but no one knows if Rubio will be collateral damage. And this is on top of an on-going corruption probe into his outrageous campaign finance practices. The state Republicans are so embarrassed by Rivera's antics that they are considering adding Key West to his district to make it bluer (while making neighboring Ileana Ros-Lehtinen safer). There are few districts anywhere more likely to oust a Republican incumbent this year and replace him with a Democrat.

So, needless to say, the DCCC has come up with the absolute worst politician they could find in the area to put up against him, a legislator from a neighboring district, Luis Garcia, who was on the steering committee of Democrats For Jeb Bush and was more recently threatening to switch parties-- after voting for one of the Florida GOP's crazed anti-Choice bills! This is a primo seat that can be won by a Democrat... unless the DCCC screws it up by making sure there isn't one in the race.