A former Florida state senator was charged on Thursday with campaign finance violations in connection to accusations that he financed a sham candidate for the state Legislature to favor a GOP candidate.
Frank Artiles, a 47-year-old Republican, turned himself in to Miami authorities a day after his home was raided by investigators on Wednesday.
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Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade County’s top prosecutor, said during a press conference on Thursday that Artiles had allegedly paid his friend almost $45,000 to mount a fake candidacy in hopes of swaying the 2020 contest.
At an election night party, Artiles reportedly bragged about recruiting a Senate District 37 candidate named Alex Rodriguez, who bore the same last name Democratic incumbent Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez.
In total, more than 215,000 votes were cast in the election. After a recount, GOP candidate Ileana Garcia, an ardent Trump supporter, narrowly won by 32 votes, and Alex Rodriguez got more than 6,000.
Alex Rodriguez, 55, was also charged on Thursday in connection to the scheme.
Artiles’s attorney, Greg Chonillo, told CNN that his client has been cooperative since the start of the investigation, but refused to further comment on the matter.
Alex Rodriguez’s attorney, William Barzee, said his client regretted his decision to take part in the alleged sham candidate plot.
“Frank Artiles and his co-conspirators knew they couldn’t beat Jose Javier Rodriguez in a fair election so they rigged it,” Barzee said. “Artiles cynically targeted and used a vulnerable ‘friend’ with a great name to run in the race in order to confuse voters and steal the election. Alex Rodriguez deeply regrets allowing himself to be used in this way and hopes that by coming forth with the truth he can help to right these wrongs.”
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Artiles and Alex Rodriguez face the same charges of making or receiving two or more campaign contributions over or in excess of the limits, conspiracy to make or receive two or more campaign contributions over or in excess of the limits, and false swearing of voting or elections.
Artiles resigned from the state Senate in 2017 and apologized after recordings came out that he had referred to Muslims as “hajis” and later used the N-word and other derogatory language while speaking with black Florida senators.
