MIAMI – Proceedings got back underway Wednesday in the “ghost candidate” trial of former State Sen. Frank Artiles, R-Miami-Dade.
Artiles is accused of being the brains behind a criminal campaign finance conspiracy. He was arrested in March 2021 and is charged with making more than $45,000 worth of illegal campaign contributions to a candidate named Alex Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was a ghost or “shill candidate” who never campaigned or even planned on winning the 2020 District 37 state Senate race.
He didn’t even live in that district, but his last name was just close enough to and potentially siphoned votes from Jose Javier Rodriguez, the legitimate Democratic candidate who narrowly lost that race to Republican Ileana Garcia.
Alex Rodriguez pleaded guilty in 2021. He’s also agreed to testify against Artiles.
In court Wednesday, a former detective who specializes in data extraction testified. He discussed seizing some electronic devices from a raid at Artiles’ home, some of which were encrypted.
Jurors also heard from accountant Jose Riesco, who testified that Artiles asked him to get involved in the Alex Rodriguez campaign. He said he never asked why a Republican would ask him to do work for a no-party affiliation candidate.
“If you knew that the $2000 didn’t come from Rodriguez but it came from somebody else, what would you have said?” prosecutors asked.
“I would’ve said, ‘No, you can’t do that,’” Riesco testified.
The trial is scheduled to resume Thursday.