Former Florida Senator Frank Artiles is arrested in secret candidacy scheme

Your charges include:

• Make or receive campaign contributions above or beyond the limits

• Conspiracy to make or receive two or more campaign contributions above or beyond the limits

• False oath in connection with voting or elections

According to a warrant obtained by Local 10 News, investigators say that Artiles offered Rodriguez $ 50,000 – half during the election and half afterwards – for Rodriguez to enter the November 37 District Senate race, where he shared his surname. with Democratic candidate José Javier Rodriguez.

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Republican challenger Ileana Garcia defeated Jose Javier Rodriguez by just 32 votes for that seat. The factory candidate, Alex Rodriguez, an indebted machine representative who actually lived two counties away from the district, won more than 6,000 votes, despite not having campaigned or having real political aspirations.

“Frank Artiles and his co-conspirators knew that they could not defeat Jose Javier Rodriguez in a fair election, so they defrauded her,” Alex Rodriguez ‘lawyer William Barzee said in a statement. “Artiles cynically took aim and used a vulnerable ‘friend’ with a big name to run in the race to confuse voters and steal the election. Alex Rodriguez deeply regrets having allowed it to be used in this way and hopes that, by revealing the truth, he can help correct these errors. “

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Local news cameras 10 captured Artiles appearing in prison along with his lawyer to surrender to the authorities shortly after 11 am on Thursday.

The warrant shows that the investigation began on November 11, the day after an article in Local 10 News presented evidence that some state Senate candidates in the November elections were factories financed by dark money.

Alex Rodriguez, 55, told investigators that Artiles, 47, contacted him on May 15, 2020, via Facebook Messenger. They had known each other for over 20 years, but had not spoken in about a year.

Rodriguez lived in Boca Raton, away from District 37 in Miami-Dade, but still owned a house on Palmetto Bay. According to the warrant, the two met at Artiles’ home in Palmetto Bay that afternoon, where Artiles outlined the scheme for Rodriguez to enter the race to confuse voters and divert votes from the Democratic candidate.

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The warrant shows communications by text message between the two.

At a subsequent face-to-face meeting, investigators claim that Artiles instructed Rodriguez how to fill out a necessary application form, which included Rodriguez using his address in Palmetto Bay, despite both knowing that he did not live there.

The warrant also describes several cases of money being paid by Artiles to Rodriguez, including receipts.

In total, investigators found that $ 44,708.03 was paid by Artiles to Rodriguez “for changing his party affiliation, qualifying as an independent candidate for the Senate seat 37, and trying to [siphon] votes of the incumbent candidate. “

Designing a fake candidate is not illegal, but funding one is.

A press conference is scheduled for 2:30 pm, when Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami City Police Chief Ron Papier and members of the Public Prosecution Task Force against Public Corruption will discuss the case.

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