Failed DeSantis Challenger Gets More Bad News

Andrew Gillum, Forward Florida chairman, speaks at the Broward County Governmental Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on May 6, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A federal court in Florida on Monday declined to dismiss criminal charges against Andrew Gillum, the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate who ran against Ron DeSantis and who was charged with wire fraud, conspiracy, and making false statements.

U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor said last week that Gillum’s claims were “meritless.” He dismissed four motions from the defendants challenging the continuation of the prosecution, according to the Associated Press.

Gillum, a former mayor of Tallahassee, failed to disclose that he solicited payments and gifts from undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers, according to a grand jury indictment unsealed on June 22.

According to court documents, Gillum later gave false statements to FBI agents claiming the developers never offered or gave him anything. He’s also accused of defrauding people by asking for campaign donations, a portion of which was funneled through a corporation and some of which was paid directly to Gillum, according to authorities.

However, Gillum claims that he’s been targeted for selective prosecution because he was a black candidate for governor, according to the Associated Press. Winsor, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, said Gillum had shown no evidence to back his claim.

Charges

Authorities accused Gillum and an associate, Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, of defrauding people out of funds they said would be used for his campaign. Instead, the money was diverted to Lettman-Hicks’s company.

Gillum allegedly received over $56,000 through the scheme “for his personal use“ via that company, according to authorities. The funds were fraudulently disguised as payroll payments. But his position at the company ”was only a cover to provide him funds that he lost,” according to the indictment.

Candidates in Florida are prohibited from using campaign funds to cover living expenses other than those incurred while campaigning.

The federal grand jury returned a 21-count indictment against Gillum and Lettman-Hicks. Gillum faces decades in prison if convicted of the 21 counts.

After the indictment was released in June, Gillum denied wrongdoing.

“I have spent the last 20 years of my life in public service and continue to fight for the people. Every campaign I’ve run has been done with integrity. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political,” Gillum said in a statement.

“Throughout my career, I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power. There’s been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee. They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now.”

Gillum was previously discovered drunk in a hotel room where suspected drugs were recovered, according to a police report from Miami Beach.

Gillum was discovered naked in the room, “unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state,” officers wrote.

After the report was made public in 2020, Gillum apologized and said he had never used drugs. He was not charged.