Politics

Gillum not guilty of lying to FBI, no verdict on other federal charges

A verdict was reached Thursday in the federal trial of former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and an associate.

Andrew Gillum, former Democratic candidate for Florida governor, Tallahassee, Fla., Nov. 10, 2018.
Andrew Gillum, former Democratic candidate for Florida governor.
AP
SMS

A verdict came down Thursday in a federal trial involving former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and an associate, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, in a trial carried out in a U.S. Northern District of Florida courthouse.

Gillum was found not guilty of providing false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No verdict was given on counts 2 through 19, which were related to charges of conspiracy and fraud connected to Lettman-Hicks. 

U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor declared a mistrial on the charges that received no verdict. 

The Tallahassee Democrat reported that Gillum's wife became emotional in the courtroom when the verdicts were read. 

Gillum faced multiple charges including allegedly providing false statements to the FBI connected to a 2015 investigation which led to additional conspiracy and fraud accusations.

The false statement charges were related to Gillum's encounter with undercover FBI agents during a trip to New York.

The government said it planned a retrial of the case.

Gilliam campaigned to be the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 2018.

The jury began deliberation Friday afternoon.

Gillum was quoted as saying, "I think about what it has felt like to, in my opinion, to be hunted for seven years, to have people who you’ve known forever to doubt you, to read things about you that not only don’t resemble the truth but don’t resemble who you are."

This story was originally published by Scripps News Tallahassee.

DeSantis-created board files suit against Disney
DeSantis-created board files suit against Disney

DeSantis-created board files suit against Disney

After Disney filed a suit in federal court, a board created by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will file a suit against Disney in state court.

LEARN MORE