A Florida appeals court has overturned a lower court’s ruling in a case involving former Florida Republican congressman David Rivera, accused of violating campaign finance laws in 2012. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the district judge erred in siding with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and has sent the case back to the lower court for a potential retrial.
In 2017, the FEC filed a complaint alleging that Rivera had illegally provided financial support to a congressional candidate in the 2012 Democratic Party primary. The initial ruling in 2022 found Rivera guilty and imposed a civil penalty of $456,000, which has now been dismissed by the appeals court.
Rivera denied the allegations, and the appeals court emphasized that his denial should have been considered significant. The case has been remanded back to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, giving both parties the opportunity to present their case again.
Rivera’s attorney, Thomas Hunker, stated that the FEC’s case against his client lacks evidence and the judgment was rightfully overturned. The FEC has yet to provide a comment on the matter. Please rewrite this sentence.
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