REPORTING 94 NEW VIRUS-RELATED
DEATHS.
>>> RUNNING A GHOST CANDIDATE
LIKE ALEX PEDRO RODRIGUEZ IS NOT
A CRIME IN FLORIDA.
A CRIME IN FLORIDA.
HOWEVER,S STORY.
HEY, STEVE.
>> Reporter: HI, TRIN
HI, JAWAN.
KATHERINE FERNANDEZ RUNDLE, THE
STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL HERE IN
MIAMI-DADE DIDN’T MINCE WORDS
WHEN SHE STATED HER ALLEGATION
AGAINST FRANK ARTILES.
SHE SAID HE PAID AN ASSOCIATE
SOME $45,000 TO BE A STRAW
CANDIDATE TO RUN IN A SOUTH
FLORIDA STATE SENATE DISTRICT,
AND SHE SAID HIS GOAL WAS TO
INTERFERE WITH THE ELECTION AND
CONFUSE VOTERS.
ACCUSED SHADOW POLITICAL
CANDIDATE ALEX RODRIGUEZ WALKING
OUT OF JAIL WITH NOTHING TO SAY
ABOUT THE FELONY CHARGES AGAINST
HIM.
HE AND FORMER STATE SENATOR
FRANK ARTILES TURNING THEMSELVES
IN THIS MORNING TO FACE
ALLEGATION OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATIONS.
MIAMI-DADE STATE ATTORNEY
GENERAL KATHERINE FERNANDEZ
RUNDLE SAYING ARTILES RECRUITED
RODRIGUEZ TO BE A STRAW
CANDIDATE IN STATE DISTRICT
NUMBER 37, AND SHE SAYS ARTILES
HAD A GOAL.
>> ARTILES ALLEGEDLY EXPLAINED A
VERY SIMPLE STRATEGY.
WITH ALEX PEDRO RODRIGUEZ
SHARING THE LAST NAME AS THE
INCUMBENT SENATOR, JOSE JAVIER
RODRIGUEZ, HIS CANDIDACY WOULD
CONFUSE VOTERS AND INFLUENCE THE
OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.
>> Reporter: PROSECUTORS ARE
INVESTIGATING NOVEMBER’S
ELECTION WHICH SAW INCUMBENT
DEMOCRAT JOSE JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
LOSE BY SOME 30 VOTES TO
REPUBLICAN NEWCOMER ILEANA
GARCIA.
DRAWING VOTES WITH HIS POPULAR
NAME.
RUNDLE SAYS HE WAS RECRUITED AND
PAID BY FRANK ARTILES.
>> BUT SOME OF IT WASN’T CASH
LIKE THE ONE I DESCRIBED IN THE
PARKING LOT THAT HE THEN TOOK TO
CITY NATIONAL BANK TO OPEN THE
ACCOUNT.
OTHERS WERE OTHER TIMES WHEN
RODRIGUEZ WOULD GO TO HIM AND
SAY I NEED MORE MONEY.
SO SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, A MONTH
LATER HE WOULD CONTINUE TO GIVE
HIM MOSTLY CASH.
>> Reporter: RODRIGUEZ IS ALSO
FACING FELONY CHARGES.
HIS ATTORNEY WITH THE STATEMENT
READING IN PART FRANK ARTILES
AND HIS CO-CONSPIRATORS KNEW
THEY COULDN’T BEAT JOSE JAVIER
RODRIGUEZ IN A FAIR ELECTION, SO
THEY RIGGED IT.
ARTILES CYNICALLY STARRINGED AND
USED A VULNERABLE FRIEND WITH
GREAT NAME TO RUN IN THE RACE IN
ORDER TO CONFUSE VOTERS AND
STEAL THE ELECTION.
IN FLORIDA, IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO
RUN A STRAW CANDIDATE, BUT IT IS
ILLEGAL TO BREAK CAMPAIGN
FINANCE LAWS AND IT IS ILLEGAL
TO FALSIFY DOCUMENTS.
AND INVESTIGATORS SAY THAT IS
WHAT THE TWO DEFENDANTS DID, AND
EACH IS FACING THREE FELONIES
RELATED TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE
LAWS.
THE WINNER OF THAT STATE SENATE
RACE, ILEANA GARCIA HAD