Police raid home of former GOP lawmaker who bragged about planting no-party candidate

[Nevilledog]

https://www.miamiherald.com/article249999979.html

Law enforcement officials on Wednesday raided the Palmetto Bay home of former Miami state Sen. Frank Artiles, who is believed to be tied to a state investigation involving a no-party candidate who likely swayed a key Miami-Dade Senate race.

Artiles’ involvement in the race first became public after the Miami Herald reported that he recruited and boasted about planting Alex Rodriguez, an auto-parts dealer, in Miami-Dade’s Senate District 37 race. Rodriguez ran as a no-party candidate, shared the same surname as the incumbent Democrat, and his mysterious candidacy has been under investigation since last November.

Rodriguez had never been a political candidate before, and had been a registered Republican just days before he filed as a candidate in the race.

Miami Republican Ileana Garcia won after a three-day recount by just 32 votes out of more than 215,000 cast. She beat Democratic incumbent Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, cementing the GOP majority in the Florida Senate for years to come.

Over drinks at an election night party, Artiles publicly bragged about planting Alex Rodriguez, a longtime acquaintance and Facebook friend, to run in the race. His involvement in launching Rodriguez’ bid was extensive, sources with direct knowledge indicted to the Herald last December.

“That is me, that was all me,” Artiles told a crowd at Liam Fitzpatrick’s restaurant in Lake Mary, where Sen. Jason Brodeur was holding his election night party, according to a person who was there and who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation.

*snip*

[Budi]

1. Use of No-Party plants to sabatogue an election is becoming a regular feature

Been going on right in our faces since 2015..
And if you look back before that full on sabatogue it was clearly taking place in Gore/Bush as well.
By the same organization pretty much.

It's evident that their target has always been the Democratic Party. Not the GOP.
Who's aligned behind the assault has become loud & cleay.

#MoneyAndMedia they shouted as they used both to their combined advantage.

[marble falls]

5. Have you ever noticed on GOP legislaters' web sites they seldom mention their party in any way?

[lagomorph777]

2. Lock him up!

[marble falls]

3. My take away is two-fold:

1. RWers aren't that hard to investigate this year - they brag about everything and record it.
2. It seems election fraud has very little at all to do with individual voters getting into the polls illegally.

[jimfields33]

4. Is this really illegal?

I thought age was the only qualification. Needed signatures as well. Maybe signatures are fake.

[marble falls]

6. It's legal until it's an intent to commit fraud.

[jimfields33]

8. I have to say that I love big mouths

Between Facebook, texting and just bragging, people make it easy for investigators.

[marble falls]

10. It's crazy. I hope they keep it up.

[Kingofalldems]

9. Not gonna work.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

11. I don't think the overall scheme is illegal, no ...

But as you point out about signatures, its possible something this dude engaged in during the process was in itself illegal. Maybe he bankrolled too much of Rodriguez's candidacy is another possibility that comes to mind.

[Mr.Bill]

13. In some places (including where I live in California)

higher fees to get on the ballot waives or reduces the amount needed for signatures.

[Cairycat]

7. If you can't win on the strength of your ideas

then you resort to underhanded, if not illegal, tactics like this.

[obamanut2012]

12. He also does not live in the districtm or even the county

[spudspud]

14. Par for the course here in the Banana Republic. /nt