Miami-Dade has grown used to shady political schemes and the impunity that often accompanies them. But, on Monday, we learned there are repercussions even in a county known for its “anything goes” political mentality.
The conviction of former Republican state Sen. Frank Artiles on campaign finance and voter registration violations is a vindication for democracy.
Miami-Dade prosecutors argued Artiles was the mastermind of a scheme to plant a ghost candidate in a 2020 Florida Senate race to siphon votes away from the Democratic incumbent, who lost by 32 votes. Artiles faces up to 15 years in prison but he’s unlikely to serve that long. His lawyers said they will appeal.
During the two week circuit court trial, the state built its case that Artiles paid machine-parts dealer Alexis Rodriguez to run as an independent candidate in the competitive Florida Senate District 37 race. The apparent intent was for voters to confuse Rodriguez’s last name with then-Democratic Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez. Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia, founder of Latinas for Trump won the seat. She’s never been accused of wrongdoing.
Alexis Rodriguez collected $44,708.03 in cash and gifts in exchange for his participation in the scheme, according to the state, as the Herald reported. He received more than 6,000 votes despite not campaigning.
This was disingenuous manipulation that disenfranchised voters for partisan and personal gain. Artiles received $90,000 to help win Miami races from a top consultant for Florida’s Senate Republicans, the Herald reported.
Artiles has finally faced the consequences of his actions in court, but the damage is done. Voters in District 37 didn’t have the opportunity to cast ballots again. Perhaps, in a twisted way, Artiles’ arrest and subsequent guilty verdict were worth it — at least from a political perspective. District 37 was redrawn in 2022 and Garcia easily won reelection.
We also doubt Artiles and Alexis Rodriguez were the only people involved in this kind of scheme. In a December deposition, the Senate GOP’s chief consultant told prosecutors that he gave Artiles the green light to find third-party candidates to help defeat two Democrats in Florida races.
Another ghost candidate appeared on the ballot in a 2020 Central Florida Senate race, benefiting a Republican candidate. Criminal charges were filed and a longtime local political operative pleaded no contest in June.
No doubt these won’t be the last dirty tricks deployed in local and state elections.
This year, another shady attempt to sway a close election for a House district covering Miami Beach appeared to be under way. In District 106, the estranged aunt of Democrat Joe Saunders filed to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate under the nickname “Moe Saunders” despite living near Jacksonville. After Joe Saunders filed a lawsuit, arguing she deliberately used the nickname to mislead voters, she agreed to appear as “Mo Saunders Scott” instead. Republican incumbent Fabian Basabe has denied any involvement in her candidacy.
Hopefully, the Legislature has made it harder for another ghost candidate scheme to happen. An elections reform law now requires candidates who wish to run under a nickname to file an affidavit under oath. We also understand this is Miami, and political operatives and campaigns looking to skirt the norms and laws surrounding elections might find a way to do that.
For now, Artiles’ conviction showed that our legal system works in preventing unethical and illegal meddling to sway election results. Let’s hope this is a lesson for the future.
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