In Tallahassee, Florida on Wednesday, June 22, Andrew Gillum surrendered to the authorities. Mr. Gillum received charges of conspiracy and fraud over how funds were raised and used during his campaign for the title of Governor of Florida and during the time he spent as mayor of Tallahassee. In addition, he was charged with making false statements to the F.B.I.
A few years ago in 2018, before he was accused of his charges, this once-rising Democrat received 32,000 votes for governorship and won, becoming Florida’s first African American Governor. Unfortunately, he started to lose his political direction and started to face many personal problems. In March of 2020, after being caught in a sex scandal in a hotel where a man who was suffering from a possible drug overdose was involved, he began to seek alcoholism treatment.
On June 7, the grand jury filed charges of conspiracy and fraud against Andrew Gillum and Sharon Lettman-Hicks, who was a confidante of Mr. Gillum. According to the indictment, she disguised fraudulent payments to Andrew Gillum with her communication company. These federal charges started from a federal search on Tallahassee City Hall in 2016 where federal agents disguised themselves as developers. Mr. Gillum remains adamant that his campaigns had nothing wrong and were full of integrity.
“I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now,” states Mr. Gillum.
According to New York Times and NBC News, Gillum and Lettman-Hicks’s fraud and conspiracy began in 2017 when Mr. Gillum resigned from his position in People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy group whose Tallahassee office was leased from Ms. Lettman-Hicks. Andrew Gillum lost $122,500 per year in salary and Sharon Lettman-Hicks lost $3,000 per month. Soon, Mr. Gillum joined Ms. Lettman-Hicks’s communication company since he couldn’t take the loss of income. So he arranged for more money to flow through Lettman-Hicks’ communications business, P&P Communications, which, in return, paid him around $10,000 a month as an employee. He and Ms. Lettman-Hicks were accused of taking money from fundraisers meant for his campaign and diverting them to P&P Communications while getting a bonus.
This is classified as fraud and conspiracy. In addition, he was accused of lying because, in June of 2017, he and an unnamed associate were said to have made a deal with an associate of the company, Southern Pines, where Southern Pines would contribute money surreptitiously to Mr. Gillum in exchange for Southern Pines receiving a more favorable consideration in City Hall. He said that he cut all contacts with “Southern Pines” but he did not know that “Southern Pines” did not exist and he had been talking to an undercover agent.
Luckily for Andrew Gillum, many people support him and refuse to believe these accusations. On Wednesday, June 22, Marc Elias and his co-counsel for Gillum, top criminal defense attorney David Oscar Markus, both pledge to clear Gillum’s name.
“The government got it wrong today. The evidence, in this case, is clear and will show that Mr. Gillum is innocent of all charges. We look forward to putting this case to rest and giving Andrew and his family peace of mind once and for all,” the lawyers said.
Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/andrew-gillum-desantis-2018-opponent-faces-indictment-rcna34676
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/us/andrew-gillum-conspiracy-wire-fraud.html
A few years ago in 2018, before he was accused of his charges, this once-rising Democrat received 32,000 votes for governorship and won, becoming Florida’s first African American Governor. Unfortunately, he started to lose his political direction and started to face many personal problems. In March of 2020, after being caught in a sex scandal in a hotel where a man who was suffering from a possible drug overdose was involved, he began to seek alcoholism treatment.
On June 7, the grand jury filed charges of conspiracy and fraud against Andrew Gillum and Sharon Lettman-Hicks, who was a confidante of Mr. Gillum. According to the indictment, she disguised fraudulent payments to Andrew Gillum with her communication company. These federal charges started from a federal search on Tallahassee City Hall in 2016 where federal agents disguised themselves as developers. Mr. Gillum remains adamant that his campaigns had nothing wrong and were full of integrity.
“I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now,” states Mr. Gillum.
According to New York Times and NBC News, Gillum and Lettman-Hicks’s fraud and conspiracy began in 2017 when Mr. Gillum resigned from his position in People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy group whose Tallahassee office was leased from Ms. Lettman-Hicks. Andrew Gillum lost $122,500 per year in salary and Sharon Lettman-Hicks lost $3,000 per month. Soon, Mr. Gillum joined Ms. Lettman-Hicks’s communication company since he couldn’t take the loss of income. So he arranged for more money to flow through Lettman-Hicks’ communications business, P&P Communications, which, in return, paid him around $10,000 a month as an employee. He and Ms. Lettman-Hicks were accused of taking money from fundraisers meant for his campaign and diverting them to P&P Communications while getting a bonus.
This is classified as fraud and conspiracy. In addition, he was accused of lying because, in June of 2017, he and an unnamed associate were said to have made a deal with an associate of the company, Southern Pines, where Southern Pines would contribute money surreptitiously to Mr. Gillum in exchange for Southern Pines receiving a more favorable consideration in City Hall. He said that he cut all contacts with “Southern Pines” but he did not know that “Southern Pines” did not exist and he had been talking to an undercover agent.
Luckily for Andrew Gillum, many people support him and refuse to believe these accusations. On Wednesday, June 22, Marc Elias and his co-counsel for Gillum, top criminal defense attorney David Oscar Markus, both pledge to clear Gillum’s name.
“The government got it wrong today. The evidence, in this case, is clear and will show that Mr. Gillum is innocent of all charges. We look forward to putting this case to rest and giving Andrew and his family peace of mind once and for all,” the lawyers said.
Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/andrew-gillum-desantis-2018-opponent-faces-indictment-rcna34676
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/us/andrew-gillum-conspiracy-wire-fraud.html
