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Frank Artiles
Frank Artiles (b. April 22, 1973) is a former Republican member of the Florida State Senate, representing District 40 from 2016 to 2017. He resigned on April 21, 2017, following a controversy over his use of a racial slur.[1]
Artiles served in the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 118 from 2010 to 2016.
On March 18, 2021, Artiles was arrested and charged with three different felony campaign finance crimes related to the 2020 Florida State Senate elections. Read more about his arrest below.[2]
Biography
Artiles earned his B.S. in Criminal Justice & Criminology from Florida State University, J.D. from St. Thomas Law School and LL.M. in Real Property Development from the University of Miami School of Law. His professional experience includes founding Pinnacle Appraisal and Umpire Services and working as the owner/operator of Artiles² Solutions, LLC. Artiles served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1998 to 2006.
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Florida committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Children, Families, and Elder Affairs |
| • Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities, Chair |
| • Governmental Oversight and Accountability, Vice chair |
| • Joint Administrative Procedures |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Artiles served on the following committees:
| Florida committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Economic Affairs |
| • Finance & Tax |
| • Rules, Calendar & Ethics |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Artiles served on the following committees:
| Florida committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Rules & Calendar, Vice chair |
| • Counsel Oversight, Chair |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Artiles served on the following committees:
| Florida committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Economic Affairs |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2016
- See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Florida State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 24, 2016.
Frank Artiles defeated incumbent Dwight Bullard and Mario Jimenez in the Florida State Senate District 40 general election.[3][4]
| Florida State Senate, District 40 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Frank Artiles |
50.62% | 100,170 | |
| Democratic | Dwight Bullard Incumbent | 40.70% | 80,551 | |
| No party affiliation | Mario Jimenez | 8.68% | 17,170 | |
| Total Votes | 197,891 | |||
| Source: Florida Division of Elections | ||||
Incumbent Dwight Bullard defeated Andrew Korge, Ana Rivas Logan and Missalys Perez in the Florida State Senate District 40 Democratic primary.[5][6]
| Florida State Senate, District 40 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Dwight Bullard Incumbent |
48.59% | 9,909 | |
| Democratic | Andrew Korge | 21.76% | 4,437 | |
| Democratic | Ana Rivas Logan | 24.53% | 5,002 | |
| Democratic | Missalys Perez | 5.12% | 1,043 | |
| Total Votes | 20,391 | |||
Frank Artiles ran unopposed in the Florida State Senate District 40 Republican primary.[5][6]
| Florida State Senate, District 40 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Frank Artiles (unopposed) | |
Mario Jimenez listed no party affiliation on the candidate list.
2014
Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 20, 2014. Omar Rivero was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while incumbent Frank Artiles was unopposed in the Republican primary. Rivero was defeated by Artiles in the general election.[7][8]
2012
Artiles won election in the 2012 election for Florida House of Representatives District 118. Artiles ran unopposed in the Republican primary on August 14, 2012, and defeated Ramon Julio Garganta (I) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank Artiles Incumbent |
99.9% | 35,733 | |
| Independent | Ramon Julio Garganta | 0.1% | 26 | |
| Total Votes | 35,759 | |||
2010
Artiles did not have any opposition in the August 24 primary. He defeated Katie Edwards (D), Alex Fernandez (TEA), and Graziella Renee Denny (NPA) in the November 2 general election.[10]
| Florida House of Representatives, District 119 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Frank Artiles (R)
|
15,182 | 51.8% | ||
| Katie Edwards (D) | 12,874 | 43.9% | ||
| Nestor Iglesias (TEA) | 967 | 3.3% | ||
| Graziella Renee Denny (TEA) | 308 | 1.1% | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Florida scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2017
In 2017, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 7 through May 8. There was also a special session from June 7 to June 9.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues.
- Legislators are scored on their stance on public records access as it relates to Florida's "Sunshine Law"
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on healthcare related issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2016, the Florida State Legislature was in session from January 12 through March 11.
|
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2015, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 3 through May 1.
|
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 3 through May 5.
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 5 through May 3.
|
Noteworthy events
Convinction on campaign finance charges (September 2024)
On September 30, 2024, Artiles was convicted on three felony charges: campaign contributions in excess of $1,000, campaign contributions conspiracy and ethics code false swearing to an oath. He was found not guilty on one charge of falsification of a voter registration form. The three guilty charges each carry sentences of up to five years in prison.[11][12] On November 18, 2024, Artiles was sentenced to 60 days in jail with credit for time served, 500 hours of community service, and 15 years of probation.[13]
Artiles was arrested on March 18, 2021, and charged with three third-degree felony campaign finance crimes: one count of false swearing in connection with voting or elections, one count of making or receiving campaign contributions over or in excess of limits, and one count of conspiracy to make or receive two or more campaign contributions over or in excess of limits. The charges stemmed from the Senate District 37 election in 2020 when investigators allege Artiles offered to pay Alex Rodriguez (I) $50,000 (half before and half after the election) to enter the race because Rodriguez shared the same last name as incumbent Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez (D). Ileana Garcia (R) defeated Jose Rodriguez by 32 votes in the general election, while Alex Rodriguez received 6,000 votes.[2] Alex Rodriguez was also arrested and charged with the three crimes.
Following his arrest, Artiles' lawyer said, "[We have] been cooperative since the inception of this investigation as well as during the execution of the search warrant. Due to the nature of the charges and potential litigation, we will not comment on any information related to this matter. We fully intend to defend any charges in Court."[14]
On April 8, 2021, Artiles was charged with an additional third-degree felony for allegedly advising and helping Rodriguez "willfully submit a false voter registration application."[15] On April 16, Artiles pleaded not guilty to all charges and requested a jury trial.[16]
In August 2023, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Ariel Rodriguez set the trial to start on February 4, 2024.[17] The trial was originally set to begin in August 2021 but was initially delayed due to Rodriguez agreeing to take a plea deal and cooperate in the case against Artiles before being delayed further.[18][19][20][21] The trial faced further delays.
Resignation (April 2017)
Artiles resigned his state Senate seat on April 21, 2017. His resignation was prompted by an exchange on April 17 with two of his black colleagues, state senators Audrey Gibson (D) and Perry Thurston (D), where he used a racial slur and referred to Gibson as a "b----."[22]
In the days following the exchange, Florida Senate President Joe Negron (R) and Johanna Cervone, a spokeswoman for the Florida Democratic Party, released statements that were critical of Artiles. On April 20, there were protests in Artiles' district over the exchange. Several of the protesters called on Artiles to resign, including former state senator, Dwight Bullard (D).[23]
Artiles' resignation letter included the following statement:
| “ |
“I apologize to my family and friends and I apologize to all of my fellow Senators and lawmakers. To the people of my district and all of Miami-Dade, I am sorry I have let you down and ask for your forgiveness. My actions and my presence in government is now a distraction to my colleagues, the legislative process, and the citizens of our great State. I am responsible and I am accountable and effective immediately, I am resigning from the Florida State Senate.” [24] |
” |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for Frank + Artiles + Florida + Senate
See also
- Florida House of Representatives
- House Committees
- Florida State Legislature
- Florida state legislative districts
- Florida State Senate
- Florida State Senate District 40
- Florida State Senate elections, 2016
External links
- Official campaign website
- Profile from Open States
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
- Frank Artiles on Facebook
- Frank Artiles on Twitter
- Campaign contributions: 2012, 2010
Footnotes
- ↑ The Hill, "Florida state senator who used racial slur with black colleagues resigns," April 21, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Local10, "Ex-Florida Sen. Frank Artiles walks out of jail facing felony campaign finance charges," March 18, 2021
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Candidate listing for 2016 general election," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "November 8, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed November 23, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Florida Department of State, "Candidates and Races," accessed July 1, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Florida Division of Elections, "August 30, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed September 22, 2016
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "2014 Florida Election Watch - Multi-County or District Offices," accessed September 3, 2014
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Candidate Listing for 2014 General Election," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ Florida Secretary of State Election Division, "Candidate List," accessed June 21, 2012
- ↑ Florida Department of Elections, "November 2, 2010, Election Results," November 2, 2010
- ↑ CBS News, "Ex-state Sen. Frank Artiles convicted in election conspiracy trial," October 1, 2024
- ↑ NBC Miami, " ‘Ghost candidate' trial of Ex-Florida Senator Frank Artiles begins," September 17, 2024
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Frank Artiles gets 60 days in jail, probation for orchestrating ‘ghost candidate’ scheme. His attorneys plan to appeal," November 18, 2024
- ↑ CNN, "Former Florida state senator charged in spoiler candidate scheme," March 18, 2021
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Former senator Artiles, no-party candidate face new charges in spoiler election scheme," April 8, 2021
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Artiles, Rodriguez plead not guilty on charges related to no-party candidate scheme," April 16, 2021
- ↑ WLRN, "Frank Artiles to face trial in February over Miami 'ghost candidate' case," August 7, 2023
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Trial date set for Frank Artiles, Alex Rodriguez over spoiler candidate charges," June 23, 2021
- ↑ Miami Herald, "No-party candidate in Miami election fraud case takes plea deal, apologizes to voters," August 24, 2021
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Frank Artiles’ trial delayed again in ‘ghost candidate’ scandal," October 19, 2021
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Trial for ex-lawmaker Frank Artiles delayed in ‘ghost’ candidate case," September 1, 2022
- ↑ Tallahassee Democrat, "Sen. Frank Artiles to apologize for 'offensive' remarks," April 18, 2017
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 CBS News, "Florida senator resigns amid outcry over racist remarks," April 21, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R) |
Florida Senate District 40 2016-2017 |
Succeeded by Annette Taddeo (D) |
| Preceded by Dwight Bullard (D) |
Florida House District 118 2012–2016 |
Succeeded by Robert Asencio (D) |
| Preceded by Juan Zapata |
Florida House District 119 2010–2012 |
Succeeded by Jeanette Nuñez (R) |
