On Tuesday, Sen. Marco Rubio spoke through a spokesperson to confirm that he had met with ex-Rep. David Rivera indicted to discuss a possible deal to normalize relations between Venezuela and the United States. However, he didn’t know that Rivera was his long-time friend and political ally and that he was working for Nicolas Maduro.

After federal authorities arrested Rubio and charged him with eight criminal charges, including money laundering and conspiracy, and failing to register to be a foreign agent for work connected to the Maduro regime, Rubio’s dealings were made public Monday night.

Unsealed indictment says Rivera and an unnamed U.S. Senator from Florida met in Washington in July 2017 to discuss a possible deal to Maduro. The agreement would have Maduro agree to free and fair elections in Venezuela.

According to the indictment, Rivera and the senator met for the first time to discuss Venezuela on July 9, 2017, at a private residence in D.C. The pair then met three days later in a Washington hotel with several others including a unidentified Venezuelan politician, who was able to attend the meeting via telephone.

Rubio was a vocal critic of Maduro’s Venezuelan policies and was influential in urging the Trump administration to maintain sanctions. Rubio was not indicted by federal authorities and his identity was not provided in the indictment.

A spokesperson for Rubio stated that during a July 2017 meeting, Mr. Rivera informed Senator Rubio of Raul Gorrin’s close Maduro associate. He wanted to personally deliver a note from the dictator to President Trump outlining an agreement to free and fair elections as well as the end of power. Gorrin arrived in Washington a few days later, but he did not produce any such letter and didn’t even mention the possibility.

The statement also stated that Mr. Rivera and his associates “never disclosed to any of United States officials they met that they were lobbying for the Government of Venezuela.” It also explains how Senator Rubio communicated directly the same thing he has publicly said for more than five years: that sanctions should not be lifted unless the regime agrees that free and fair elections are held. It is possible that this was an attempt to soften his position on sanctions. However, it failed spectacularly.

Rubio’s office statement is in direct contrast to his comments made in an August interview with a Miami television station. Jim DeFede, CBS Miami’s correspondent on Rivera’s affairs, asked Rubio about Rivera. Rubio responded that media outlets were not mentioning him in their coverage. Rivera’s alleged connections to the Maduro regime were first exposed in a lawsuit brought by a subsidiary Venezuela’s oil company against the ex-congressman.

Rubio stated that everyone hopes there is some kind of linkage to him. “None of these articles claim that there is, and if they did they would be lying. Truth is, that has nothing to with me. People ask this question because they believe it would be interesting if it was true. There’s nothing to do with me.

DeFede first asked Rubio if he had ever “had a conversation” with David Rivera about his representation of Venezuela. Rubio responded, “No, but, I can tell you this, it had nothing with me.”

Rubio’s spokesperson stated that Rivera was asked about his representation of Venezuela. He also said that Rubio didn’t know Rivera was working for a Maduro-linked company.

Rubio’s office refused to answer any additional questions regarding Rivera.

Rivera was a representative of a Miami-area neighborhood from 2011 to 2013. He was taken into custody at the Atlanta airport Monday in connection to a Miami grand jury indictment. Rivera and Esther Nuhfer were both indicted in the indictment. The indictment alleges that Rivera received payments totaling $20 million for work done on behalf Venezuela. Nuhfer was then accused of splitting the money with Rivera.

According to the indictment, Rivera and Nuhfer were allegedly sought out by former President Donald Trump to lobby politicians for Venezuela and to gain political support to normalize relations between the U.S. and Venezuela starting in 2017.

Rivera and others attempted to negotiate a deal. The indictment also included excerpts from exchanges between Rivera, Rivera, and others. Rivera, in an encrypted text message, stated that Trump was meeting Rivera the next day and that Rivera would “tell him that there is the possibility in his hands for solving the crisis …” Rivera also sent texts to the senator in which he said that the U.S. should facilitate, not just support, but a negotiated resolution as well as reconciliation.

The indictment claims that Nuhfer texted Rivera a message one day after their second meeting. He said, “no more MTGs until we get a piece.” Rivera also sent a text to Nuhfer, telling her to text an unnamed individual to tell him to tell a new friend the bus driver to pay for the mtg with Senator Nuhfer.

Rivera was a member of the Florida Legislature before his brief stint in Congress. He rose to the position of budget chief in state House. Rivera, who was the subject of several investigations over his congressional campaign work and consulting, maintained good relations with Republicans, and was present at the Florida Capitol for two weeks during the biennial organization session.