A ghost candidate who helped sway a state election testified that he was offered $50,000 to run for office. He never planned on winning, only disrupting the race – which ended up flipping the Senate seat from Democrat to Republican. NBC6’s Steve Litz reports
A ghost candidate who helped sway a Miami-area legislative race back in 2020 testified Friday that he was offered $50,000 to run for office.
The alleged sham candidate, Alex Pedro Rodriguez, under oath, said former state Sen. Frank Artiles was behind his ghost campaign. Rodriguez never planned on winning, only disrupting the race – which ended up flipping the Senate seat from Democrat to Republican.
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"The Democratic candidate had the same last name as me, and it would help save in votes away in exchange for me running, so he would give me $50,000, $25,000 before the election and 25 after," Rodriguez told the court.
"I agreed to do it, I needed the money. I am ashamed, but I needed the money, so I said yes," he said.
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Rodriguez pleaded guilty to election fraud charges and agreed to testify against Artiles. He was on house arrest for six months and on probation for three years.
Prosecutors say Artiles, a staunch Republican, convinced Rodriguez to change his party affiliation to independent and run against the incumbent Democratic Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez in November of 2020. The two share a last name.
Rodriguez, the sitting senator, lost the election and his seat to Republican candidate Ileana Garcia by 32 votes.
"We should get involved in the process," the former state senator said in a prerecorded interview. "We should learn the issues, learn more about the candidates and put a stop to these tactics."
Prosecutors say Artiles broke campaign finance laws and other committed election-related crimes. His lawyer told jurors backing a ghost candidate is not against the law.
"If you conclude that Alex Rodrguez was a ghost candidate, we are telling you he is. Ghost candidate, that in it itself is not a crime. Nor is it a crime to encourage to assist to support or contribute with legal limits to such a candidate," defense attorney Frank Quintero said.
Rodriguez will continue his testimony on Monday.
