PRESIDENT OF MAYBE THE COLLEGE
ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE
FLORIDA STATE LEGISLATURE, AND
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE STATE SENATE WELCOME
NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS.
ABOUT THE FORTIS CHEVRON JONES-
SMITH HISTORY OF FLORIDA'S
FIRST OPENLY LGBT Q STATE
SENATOR.
HE REPRESENTS DISTRICT 35.
ILEANA GARCIA ALSO TOOK EARL
TODAY, CALLING IT THE HONOR OF
A LIFETIME.
GARCIA'S JOURNEY TO TALLAHASSEE
COMES JUST FIVE DAYS AFTER THE
MIAMI-DADE DEPARTMENT OF
ELECTIONS FINALIZE THE RESULTS
OF THE RECOUNT, DECLARING FOR
THE WINTER OVER INCUMBENT IS A
JAVIER RODRIGUES BY ONLY 34
VOTES.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE FINAL
TALLY AND THE BOATS THAT
SEPARATED THE CANDIDATES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT A THIRD-PARTY
CANDIDATE BY THE NAME OF ALEX
RODRIGUEZ GOT MORE THAN 6000
VOTES.
HE GOT THAT WITHOUT DOING ANY
CAMPAIGNING OR FUNDRAISING, HE
DID NOT EVEN HAVE A CAMPAIGN
WEBSITE.
IN A STATEMENT CAN SEE THE
RACE, RODRIGUES WROTE, QUOTE,
GOING FORWARD I URGE AN
INVESTIGATION INTO THE STRAW
CANDIDATE PROPPED UP BY THE
REPUBLICANS IN THIS ELECTION.
AND JOINING US NOW IS FORMER
STATE SENATOR JOSI JAVIER
RODRIGUES.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WE HAVE NOT INDEPENDENTLY
CONFIRMED REPORTS OF
MALFEASANCE IN THIS RACE.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS
THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE ALEX
RODRIGUEZ AND WE ARE NOT
TALKING ABOUT THE FORMER
BASEBALL PLAYER RIGHT?
WE ARE NOT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME
ON.
THE ISSUE REALLY IS
TRANSPARENCY.
I CAN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT
HIM.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS SPENT ON MILLER
SUPPORTING HIM.
IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN EFFORT
, TO PROP UP A STRAW PARTY
CANDIDATE WITH STARK MONEY.
AND, WE HAVE LAX CAMPAIGN-
FINANCE LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE USE
OF DARK MONEY AND STRUCK
CANDIDATES WHICH IS WHAT
HAPPENED IN THIS RACE, IS
SOMETHING THAT IS USED TO
OCCUR.
AGAIN, I SPOKE WITH THE SENATOR
ELECT AND THE SENATOR WARREN
TODAY, GARCIA AND I WISHED HER
WELL.
BUT I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT THAT AN INVESTIGATION
BE CONDUCTED, IN THE LAST
COUPLE OF HOURS, IT APPEARS
THAT THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
HAS CONFIRMED THEY HAVE OPENED
AN INVESTIGATION.
THAT'S RIGHT.
THE MIAMI HERALD JUST POSTED A
STORY SAYING THAT THE MAYBE
DATE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS
INVESTIGATING, BUT AGAIN, ALEX
RODRIGUEZ, HOW DID HE GET INTO
THIS RACE?
AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM?
WE ARE GOING TO FIND THAT
OUT.
TO THE COURSE OF THE
INVESTIGATION.
THERE WERE THREE STATE SENATE
RACES WHERE REPUBLICANS, -- AND
ALL THREE RACES, THERE WERE
THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES WITH
REPUBLICAN OPERATIVE FINGERS
ALL OVER THEM.
ALL THREE OF THEM QUALIFIED AT
THE LAST MINUTE, THE L HAD A
LOAN TO MEET THE QUALIFYING
FEE, THAT SEVERAL EMAIL
ADDRESSES, AND SO IT WAS VERY
CLEARLY ORCHESTRATED, AND IF
YOU LOOK AT THE CONTENT OF
THESE MAILERS, THAT WERE SENT
OUT, THEY ARE VERY MUCH DESIGNED
TO SIPHON VOTES.
IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF WHICH
CANDIDATE ONE, IS ABOUT
TRANSPARENCY.
THEY DESERVE TO KNOW WHO THESE
CANDIDATES ARE.
AND WHO IS FUNDING THEM.
AND IN THIS CASE THE WAY THAT
THEY RAN THESE RACES, WE ARE
STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
EXACTLY WHERE THE MONEY CAME
FROM.
THE THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE
LEADS TO A PO BOX IN ATLANTA.
THAT'S WHERE IT STOPPED.
THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
HOPEFULLY WILL GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF EXACTLY WHO WAS
BEHIND THIS AND, AGAIN, PREVENT
THIS HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.
WE NEED ELECTIONS WHERE VOTERS
CAN RELY ON THE FACT THAT THERE
IS TRANSPARENCY AND THAT THEY
CAN KNOW WHO THE CANDIDATES
REALLY ARE.
WHO IS FUNDING THE.
WHO IS BEHIND THE.
YOU MENTIONED WE DON'T KNOW
AT THIS POINT WHO IS SENDING
THESE MAILERS, DO WE KNOW AT
THIS POINT WHO IS PAYING HIS
QUALIFYING FEE, OF COURSE, AN
INVESTIGATION WILL REVEAL
FURTHER INFORMATION.
ANY IDEA BEHIND THAT?
WE DON'T KNOW.
AGAIN, THE USE OF A LOAN, IN
THE CAMPAIGN-FINANCE DOCUMENT,
IS A SIGNAL.
BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE
TACTICS THAT IS USED TO TRY TO
EVADE A VERY WEAK CAMPAIGN-
FINANCE LOCK.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME
TO LIGHT AFTER THE ELECTION AND
INVESTIGATIONS, THAT ARE BEING
DONE, IS THAT THIS GENTLEMAN,
THIS THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE
APPARENTLY HAD A LOT OF DEBTS
AROUND TOWN, HE DID NOT
ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE DISTRICT,
HE LIVED IN BOCA RATON, SO HOW
AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS MONEY ALL
OVER TOWN AND BASICALLY FLED TO
AVOID CHARGES OF THEFT OR
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY IN THIS
BUSINESS, HOW THAT PERSON
DECIDED TO RUN FOR OFFICE CAME
UP WITH THE MONEY, TO PAY THE
QUALIFYING FEES, AND WAS ABLE
TO RAISE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS TO SEND OUT MAILERS
IN THE DISTRICT.
IS VERY PERPLEXING.
THERE ARE A LOT OF RED FLAGS.
AND CLEARLY THIS IS DRAWING THE
EYE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AGAIN THE MIAMI HERALD
REPORTING THAT MIAMI-DADE STATE
ATTORNEY IS LOOKING INTO THIS,
THIS IS A RACE DECIDED BY 34
POINTS.