Former Florida Senator Convicted in Ghost Candidate Scheme

Former Florida State Senator Frank Artiles was convicted on three felony counts related to a 'ghost candidate' scheme aimed at siphoning votes away from Democratic incumbent Jose Javier Rodriguez in the 2020 election. A jury found him guilty of conspiracy and making excessive campaign contributions totaling over $26,000 to candidate Alex Rodriguez, who received more than 6,000 votes, contributing to the narrow defeat of the incumbent by just 32 votes. Artiles faces potential prison time of up to five years for each count when sentenced on October 21. His defense argued that ghost candidates are legal in Florida as long as election laws are followed, but prosecutors contended that the payments to Rodriguez were unlawful political contributions aimed at manipulating the election outcome. The case has drawn attention to the role of dark money in Florida politics, with connections to Florida Power & Light executives who allegedly sought to undermine Rodriguez's campaign. Artiles was acquitted on one count related to voter registration falsification, but his defense maintained that all transactions were legitimate business dealings.