Andrew Gillum, a popular Democrat politician who once challenged Ron DeSantis for the governorship of Florida, has been indicted for fraud.
Gillum received a 21-count indictment from a federal grand jury for campaign fraud surrounding his well-documented 2018 run for Governor of Florida.
The Department of Justice charged Gillum and co-defendant Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks with committing wire fraud by unlawfully soliciting funds from various individuals and entities by making false promises.
They were also accused of using third party services to send part of their funds raised to a private company owned by Lettman-Hicks, who then paid the money to Gillum as an employee for his own personal use.
Throughout his 2018 campaign, Gillum set Florida fundraising records for Democrats by pulling in a massive $55 million versus DeSantis’s $59 million. DeSantis barely managed to edge Gillum out of that race, winning 49.6% to 49.2%
Gillum had previously removed himself from the public view after a 2020 sex scandal involving crystal meth and an overdosed male escort in a hotel room in Miami.
Despite the slew of new charges against him and the fact that both the former candidate and his partner in crime have been arrested, Gillum put out a statement promising to fight back. He claimed the charges were political and his campaign was run with integrity.
“I have spent the last 20 years of my life in public service and continue to fight for the people,” he said in a prepared statement. “Every campaign I’ve run has been done with integrity. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political.”
Gillum is currently being represented by former Clinton attorney Marc Elias, who has himself been investigated by the DOJ for his ties to the famously fake Russian dossier pushed by the Clinton campaign to try and discredit former President Trump.
“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,” said Elias.
Once upon a time, Gillum was viewed as a potential presidential contender for his popularity and fundraising prowess. Now, much like porn lawyer Michael Avenatti and Anthony Weiner, he is headed to jail. Why do Democrats keep picking people like these men to lead their party?
