TALLAHASEE, Fla. (AP) — Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum, who narrowly defeated Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018, was acquitted Thursday of charges of Lied to the FBI in a corruption case that also involved the alleged illegal use of campaign donations.
But a federal jury still charged Gillum with funneling tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds into personal accounts. Prosecutors said they would retry him on those charges. They allege Gillum was in financial trouble after he quit his $120,000-a-year job at the People for the American Way group to run for governor.
Gillum was acquitted Thursday of posing as a developer and lying to undercover FBI agents who paid for his 2016 trip to New York with his brother, which included hotel rooms, meals, a boat tour and a tour of the hit Broadway show “Hamilton.” tickets.
Outside court, Guillam thanked his family, wife, legal team and pastor for their support, but took a dig at prosecutors.
“They’re literally trying to take everything away from us,” he said. Everyday people like you and me sometimes swing at the ball. “
When asked what was going to happen next, Guillam said “sleep” and walked away from a group of journalists.
If convicted, Gillum could face a lengthy prison sentence — although under federal sentencing guidelines his sentence could be well below the maximum.
The jury decided in favor of public relations executive, Gillum consultant and co-defendant Sharon Lettman-Hicks in the case. Prosecutors said they would also retry her.
Gillum, 43, is a former Tallahassee mayor who sought to become the first black governor in Florida history when he took over from DeSantis in 2018. Gillum lost to DeSantis by less than 34,000 votes, triggering an automatic recount.
Mention Sources Can Request us to Edit This Article
1. www.baynews9.com
2. Quora
