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| - A former Republican lawmaker was charged Thursday on allegations that he used a spoiler candidate in a bid to divert votes from an opponent during last year's Florida state senate election. Frank Artiles, a former state senator and lobbyist, was charged with three counts, including campaign finance violations. According to the warrant, Artiles paid Alex Pedro Rodriguez, an auto parts salesman, nearly $45,000 to register in the race as an independent, part of an attempt to "siphon votes from the incumbent candidate." Rodriguez was running against Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez, who until last November represented a district of Miami-Dade County. The fact that the two men shared the same last name was apparently enough to confuse many voters -- Senator Rodriguez lost by 32 votes to Republican Ileana Garcia, founder of Latinas For Trump. Local press became suspicious of the ruse when Alex Rodriguez -- who is also facing three charges in connection to the case -- declined to speak with reporters about his election campaign. Alex Rodriguez even appeared on a list of three unknown senate candidates with no party affiliation and who did not appear to be actively campaigning who were promoted on emails about issues that appealed to Democrats, according to a report by Politico in October. They also received more than half a million dollars in funds from a mysterious donor, the report added. The Miami Herald reported in December that Artiles had boasted about his ploy in public and taking credit for Garcia's victory. "That is me, that was all me," he said, according to the paper. According to the arrest warrant, Alex Rodriguez told prosecutors that Artiles had approached him on Facebook in May last year with the electoral proposition. Police raided Artiles's home Wednesday, and he turned himself in the next day before being released on bail hours later. The former Republican senator and his accomplice could face up to five years in prison. lm/lda/acb-caw/oho
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