Former senator Frank Artiles indicted in spoiler candidate project

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Frank Artiles, 47, surrendered to Miami authorities a day after his home was raided by investigators from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

Senior county prosecutor Katherine Fernandez Rundle accused Artiles at a press conference Thursday afternoon of paying an old friend nearly $ 45,000 to mount a bogus candidacy intended to illegally influence the election.

Artiles, a Republican agent notorious for his rude mouth and razor-sharp elbows, is accused of funding a mock candidate whose candidacy aimed to siphon the votes of a legitimate Democratic candidate in a Senate race in the South 37th District of Florida. The candidate has the same last name as then-Democratic incumbent Jose Javier Rodriguez, but has not actively campaigned for the seat and has since admitted to being recruited as a spoiler.

The man, Alexis P. Rodriguez, 55, was also charged in connection with the scheme.

Artiles and Rodriguez face identical charges: making or receiving two or more contributions to the campaign beyond or beyond limits; conspiracy to make or receive two or more election contributions above or beyond the limits and false oath in connection with the vote or elections.

“We allege that these various payments flagrantly violated Florida election laws,” Fernandez Rundle said. “These payments were intended to influence the outcome of the election.”

Republican candidate Ileana Garcia, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, narrowly won the race with just 32 votes.

Fernandez Rundle said there was no evidence Garcia was aware of the scheme. A spokeswoman for Garcia said the newly elected senator had never met Artiles.

In a text to a CNN reporter shortly before Artiles’ surrender, his defense attorney, Greg Chonillo, said his client “had cooperated since the start of the investigation as well as during the execution of the search warrant. Due to the nature of the charges. and potential litigation, we will not comment on any information relating to this case. We fully intend to defend any charges in court. “

Florida black money mystery centers on campaign of spoiler candidate who appeared to help Republican win by 32 votes

Lawyer William Barzee, who represents candidate Rodriguez, told CNN: “Frank Artiles and his co-conspirators knew they couldn’t beat Jose Javier Rodriguez in a fair election, so they rigged it. Artiles cynically targeted and used a vulnerable ‘friend’ with a big name to run for 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 revealing the truth, he can help right these wrongs. “

Rodriguez has also been taken into custody in connection with the case, a Miami-Dade County corrections official told CNN.

Questions began to swirl in Florida media and political circles last year about the 37th District election, as CNN reported in November.

Even before his arrest, Artiles was a controversial figure in Florida politics.

According to the Miami Herald, in 2014 he was secretly recorded referring to Muslims as “hajis” and then later, in 2017, he used the n word and other derogatory language when addressing senators in the Black Florida.

Artiles later apologized for the remarks, the first of two incidents that ultimately forced him to step down as state senator.

CNN’s Drew Griffin contributed to this report.

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