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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPolice raid home of former GOP lawmaker who bragged about planting no-party candidate
https://www.miamiherald.com/article249999979.htmlLaw 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-Dades 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 Fitzpatricks 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
(15,325 posts)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
(57,104 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)marble falls
(57,104 posts)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
(15,823 posts)I thought age was the only qualification. Needed signatures as well. Maybe signatures are fake.
marble falls
(57,104 posts)jimfields33
(15,823 posts)Between Facebook, texting and just bragging, people make it easy for investigators.
marble falls
(57,104 posts)Kingofalldems
(38,458 posts)Hugh_Lebowski
(33,643 posts)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
(24,303 posts)higher fees to get on the ballot waives or reduces the amount needed for signatures.
Cairycat
(1,706 posts)then you resort to underhanded, if not illegal, tactics like this.