In a surprising turn of events, former Tallahassee mayor and Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was found not guilty of lying to the FBI by a federal jury. The Miami Herald reported that the jury could not agree on verdicts for 17 counts of wire fraud and one of conspiracy, leaving Gillum unconvicted on those charges as well.
The Accusations and the Role of Gillum’s Bisexuality
Gillum, who came out as bisexual in 2020, was accused of illegally diverting political contributions to his personal bank accounts during his 2018 run for governor. His mentor, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, faced similar accusations, but the jury also failed to agree on a verdict for the charges against her. Gillum lost the 2018 election to Republican Ron DeSantis by a mere 32,000 votes.
Prosecutors argued that Gillum diverted the campaign donations due to losing $120,000 in income after leaving his job with a nonprofit to run for governor. They claimed that he and Lettman-Hicks conspired to transfer the money to their personal accounts, though only circumstantial evidence was presented. The Tallahassee Democrat reported that prosecutors plan to retry the fraud and conspiracy charges, with defense attorneys urging them to reconsider.
The Separate Incident and Gillum’s Emotional Response
The charge of lying to the FBI stemmed from a separate 2016 incident when Gillum was mayor of Tallahassee. Undercover agents, posing as business executives, gifted him a ticket to the Broadway show Hamilton and other items while investigating corruption in city government. The jury found him not guilty of lying to the FBI about receiving these gifts.
Following the trial, Gillum spoke candidly about the difficulties he faced while dealing with the charges. “I think about what it has felt like to, in my opinion, 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,” he said.
Gillum’s Coming Out and Hotel Room Incident
Gillum’s coming out as bisexual followed a controversial incident in a Florida hotel room where he was found nude and intoxicated, while an associate, Travis Dyson, received treatment for an apparent drug overdose. A photograph circulated of Gillum seemingly unconscious in the hotel room, prompting right-wing activist Candace Owens to suggest he had been involved in an orgy with other men. Gillum denied the allegations and maintained that he was not involved in any romantic rendezvous at the hotel.
