MIAMI (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera has halted his efforts to reclaim his seat.
The former Miami congressman announced on his Facebook page Friday that he was suspending his campaign, though he didn’t reference the ongoing federal investigation he’s facing. He blamed a Thursday ruling by “liberal activist judges” that invalidated Florida’s congressional district map. The ruling was based on a 2010 amendment that says districts cannot be drawn to favor incumbents or political parties.
Rivera says because of the confusion, he will focus on a return to the Florida State House of Representatives in 2016.
On Thursday, Justin Lamar Sternad — a failed congressional candidate — was sentenced to seven months in federal prison for campaign finance violations. The case involves allegations that Rivera, a Republican, secretly financed Sternad’s 2012 primary campaign to weaken Democratic rival Joe Garcia.
