Appeals court to hear arguments in Rivera ethics case

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

The 1st District Court of Appeal will hear arguments next month in a long-running ethics case involving former state lawmaker and Congressman David Rivera, R-Miami. Rivera took the case to the appeals court last year after an administrative law judge and the state Commission on Ethics said he was improperly reimbursed for state travel and did not adequately disclose financial information. The appeals court issued an order last week setting oral arguments for June 7 before a three-judge panel, according to an online docket. Rivera, who served a single term in Congress, was a state House member from 2002 to 2010. The ethics case deals with his time in the Legislature. Rivera is trying to make a political comeback this year, running for the open District 118 seat in the Florida House.