Florida ethics panel recommends $20k fine for sham candidate

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A state ethics panel has recommended a sham candidate for the Florida Legislature convicted of participating in a vote siphoning scheme be fined $20,000 and formally reprimanded. The panel announced Wednesday that Alex Rodríguez had reached a settlement with the commission. Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t immediately say whether he would accept the recommendation that he reprimand Rodriguez. In a separate criminal case, Rodríguez pleaded guilty in August to accepting illegal campaign donations and lying on campaign documents. Under a deal with prosecutors, Rodríguez agreed to testify against former Republican state Sen. Frank Artiles, who was accused of secretly giving Rodriguez funds to run in 2020 to siphon ballots from a Democrat.