Andrew Gillum, Bi Florida Politician, Indicted on Fraud Charges
Florida’s first Black nominee for governor when he ran against Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018. DeSantis won. The charges are related to actions when he was mayor and when he was running for governor.
A grand jury filed the charges June 7, and they were made public Wednesday by Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.The indictment alleges that from 2016 to 2019, Gillum and two associates raised funds that were ostensibly going to his Forward Florida Political Action Committee and a project called the Campaign to Defend Local Solutions, which fought state preemption of regulations imposed by local governments.
They solicited money from undercover FBI agents posing as business owners, and the agents were promised government contracts in exchange for their support, according to the document.
They also sought funds from organizations.But some of the funds were diverted to P&P Communications, a company owned by Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Gillum’s longtime friend and political mentor, the indictment alleges.
