'Ghost' candidate in South Florida Senate race to testify against former GOP lawmaker

ORLANDO, Fla. — The man accused of accepting a bribe from ex-lawmaker Frank Artiles in exchange for putting his name on the ballot in a South Florida legislative race last year plans to accept a plea deal and testify as a witness against Artiles, prosecutors said Thursday during a hearing. Prosecutors allege Artiles, a former state senator, paid Alex Rodriguez nearly $45,000 to file to run as an independent candidate in a hotly contested Miami-area state Senate race in an attempt to confuse voters and siphon votes from the Democratic incumbent. Rodriguez, who is scheduled to enter his plea agr...