Former Florida Sen. Frank Artiles is on trial for allegedly orchestrating a scheme where he paid Alex Rodriguez $50,000 to run as a 'ghost candidate' to sway a 2020 Miami-area legislative race. Rodriguez, who shared a last name with the incumbent Democratic Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, received over 6,000 votes, leading to the Democratic senator’s defeat by 32 votes. The defense claims the money exchanged was for business transactions or loans, not for campaign violations. Rodriguez, who has admitted to lying and doctoring documents, is cooperating with prosecutors in exchange for a plea deal of house arrest and probation. Jurors were allowed to submit questions to Rodriguez, highlighting the importance of his testimony. The trial continues to focus on whether the payments made by Artiles constitute illegal campaign contributions.