Andrew Gillum Corruption Roundup: Everything We Know Right Now

by | Sep 14, 2018


UPDATE: On October 23, 2018, text messages surfaced which appear to show Andrew Gillum knowingly accepted a bribe from an undercover FBI agent, allegedly in exchange for his support on a proposed economic development deal in Tallahassee. The story was first reported by Politico and the Tampa Bay Times. Gillum denies the allegations.

As Florida heads down the homestretch of the 2018 Election Cycle, voters will hear more and more about Democrat gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum and the FBI probes, ethics charges and related allegations. Here’s a roundup of each, and the connections between them.

One of the best resources for all things Gillum is the excellent Tallahassee Reports, which has chronicled Gillum’s woes for as long as the digital media outlet has existed. In addition to deeper coverage of the FBI probe, Tallahassee Reports has also shed light on other eyebrow-raising activities in which Gillum always seems to be at the center. Here is the most comprehensive list of the Andrew Gillum ethics and corruption scandals:

Shady PR Firm Salary – Rent payments from Gillum’s campaign are made to a PR firm that funnels the cash right back to Gillum in the form of salary. The PR firm is owned by Sharon Lettman-Hicks, a close confidante of Gillum.

From the Tallahassee Democrat:

The Democrat in June asked Gillum’s campaign manager, Geoff Burgan, about Gillum’s work for P&P and who its clients are. His response lacked detail.

“P&P Communications is a private company that does leadership consulting,” Burgan said. “I don’t have a client list for you though.”

Lettman-Hicks, in an interview with the Democrat, said Gillum has one client: herself. She said Gillum advises her on strategies for key projects, coalition building and the selection of other clientele.

Lettman-Hicks paid Gillum more than $70,000 last year to give her advice.

The PR firm itself, P&P Communications, operates in the shadows, with no website nor any known clients, according to Tallahassee Reports, none that is, except the Andrew Gillum campaign. Oddly enough, the Tallahassee Democrat reported on August 1st that Gillum’s previous employer (before joining P&P Communications while simultaneously serving as Mayor of Tallahassee and running for governor) was with People for the American Way, which also just so happened to exist in the very same building at 1550 Melvin Street in Tallahassee.

But the cash flowing through the overlapping organizations at 1550 Melvin Street and into Gillum’s pockets pales in comparison to the suspicious activity happening elsewhere in Tallahassee.

800 Gaines Street, LLC – According to Tallahassee Reports, Andrew Gillum’s 2014 campaign treasurer, Adam Corey, was one of several investors who finagled their way into a real estate deal with the City of Tallahassee that Gillum voted to approve. The investors bought the property from the city – which claims nobody else wanted – for $225,000, then turned around and sold it three years later for $525,000, more than doubling their money (129% profit).

The Edison Restaurant – Once again, Gillum’s close friend Adam Corey is at the center of scandal. The Edison Restaurant exists because it received substantial subsidies from the City of Tallahassee, with some estimates as high as $2.1 million dollars. The Edison Restaurant the developers behind the project, including Corey, were the focus of FBI subpoenas served last year. Tallahassee Reports has faithfully chronicled all of the woes and corruption related to The Edison Restaurant.

FBI Probe – With the above real estate deals as the backdrop, it becomes easier to understand why the FBI sent undercover agents to pose as real estate developers. One of the central figures in the probe is Gillum’s long-time friend and political ally, Adam Corey.  Much of that remains murky but has been widely reported.

As if that’s not enough already, Gillum also took a trip to Costa Rica, along with Adam Corey and others, where he stayed a posh hotel. Gillum told the media and the Florida Commission on Ethics that he paid cash for the trip, and offered a $400 ATM cash withdrawal as “evidence” that he paid his own way.  As POLITICO noted in their coverage, Gillum’s records raised more questions than answers.

And to top it all off, Gillum’s old friend, Adam Corey (or more accurately, his attorney, Chris Kise) told the media that Gillum never reimbursed Corey for the trip, contradicting Gillum’s claims in the press:

Christopher Kise, an attorney representing Corey, disputes that Gillum paid $400 for the trip. He told the Associated Press Tuesday night that he has not received any cash for the Costa Rica stay to date. (Source: Politico)

Obviously, either Corey or Gillum is lying about the trip. The fact that his close friend, Corey, is now openly bashing Gillum suggests there are interesting (FBI related?) dynamics at work.

Whether or not Gillum is ultimately implicated by the FBI in actual corruption charges remains to be seen, but it remains a significant cloud over his campaign, just as it’s always been hanging over his time as Tallahassee mayor.

 

 

 

42 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Somehow we need to get this information out throughout the state be it bill boards or commercials!

    • Anonymous

      WOW.just like every other politician

    • ANONYMOUS

      WE AGREE THIS MAN DOES NOT DESERVE TO EVEN BE AROUND OUR CHILDREN AND LOVED ONES!! DEMONIC SPIRITS FROM WHAT WE’VE READ!! ONLY ONE MAN NEEDS TO REMAIN GOVERNOR”” RICK SCOTT”” HE’S GOD SENT
      AMEN

      • Paul C

        Too bad you missed the part about term limits in the FL Constitution.

    • PETER

      Amen to that!! This corrupt clown would be a total disaster for the state of Florida…

  2. Anonymous

    Trying to malign your opponent is not the answer.

    • Gerald L Tull

      Its been a favorite tactic of the Demo Rats for decades. Or haven’t you notice!!

    • Mary l Diaz

      isnt that what Democrats do all the time?

      • Anonymous

        Demonrats

    • Anonymous

      this is not maligning, it is fact the truth. He is a corrupt/unethical person.

    • Cheryl Vogt

      Is that meant to be funny Anonymous? Have you seen what they have tried to do to Trump?

    • Jim Bragg

      If he was a Republican you would hear this on the MSM news 24/7. Instead his mega millions in campaign money for liberals and communists as well as Soros and other ultra-liberals is spending money on attack ads against Ron DeSantis.

      • Anonymous

        I agree that it would be headlines if he was a republican. Don’t let the state of Florida become like Tallahassee or better yet like the senate hearings in DC.

    • Anonymous

      Democrat.all fraud

  3. Name

    Comment

  4. Mary L Diaz

    maybe they will find something about his sexual conduct when he was a teenager .:)

    • Brad

      Well if the shoe fits

    • Terri Sako

      That’s only for Republicans!

  5. Anonymous

    Y’all better be nice or the race card will be played and then we will be forced to have a crooked politician in office . The last act of governor Scott shout be an internal state investigation into the allegations

    • Anonymous

      How about a former(white) Mayor who did the same kind of crooked realestate deal???
      Anybody want to know about that one???

      • Never Again

        If he were running for Governor, yes I would. Next deflection please.

  6. ronald douglas

    I see no academic achievements Gillum has to go with his political science major. I need to see valedictorian,magna cum laude and other academic achievements if I am going to vote for a 24 year old kid who just finished college only a few years ago to Governor of Florida. Being a mayor is something but an entire city could have made a mistake. I don’t want to see it escalate into an entire state made a mistake. I see Gillum attended Florida A&M but nowhere did it say he graduated.

  7. Marcy Scrot

    It won’t matter. Blacks vote color,not ethics or honesty or capability. He’s been able to get away with this as governor- what makes anyone think he’ll change

    • Anonymous

      That right you red neck

    • RED

      Barry in D.C. is a prime example of race voting and records be damned! Obama is another. Sickening.

      • Bill

        Very true

    • Susan Simmond

      I’m black and I’m not voting for Gullium.

  8. Roberto Martin

    Approximately 95% of Blacks will vote for Gillum. They will do so regardless of how corrupt he is. To Blacks its all about skin color.Remember when then Mayor Marion Barry of Washington D.C., was caught with a prostitute smoking crack cocaine in a D.C. hotel room on video by the FBI? Blacks still overwhelmingly voted Barry back into office. Don’t underestimate Gillum, White “Guilt” Liberals will join Blacks to elect this crook.

  9. KAREN KERAMES

    People are waking up to the reality that voting by skin color gets them nowhere.

  10. Enchanted

    But, but gillum the mayor of Tallahassee said it had nothing to do with him, it only involved the city of Tallahassee! (Yes he said that). We already have enough crooks in office, we don’t need him. Oh for Floridians he wants a state income tax, and raise taxes by 60 billion. Think you don’t have enough money in your check now, if you vote for him it will be even less.

  11. Anonymous

    how cowardice to remain Anonymous when engaging in a debate.

  12. Seth

    I’ve never met an ethical politician. They are all corrupt. Scott is a criminal as well but that gets overlooked?

  13. Billy boy

    Scott got caught and he had to pay Gilliam on the other hand hasn’t been caught he thinks he’s too sneaky and all the blacks will vote for him because of the skin color let’s hope and pray that white power hold on to the end

  14. AirTweety

    If the people of Florida are stupid enough to vote for him, they’ll deserve him.

    • Independent voter

      Yup. Vote Republican save America!

  15. Independent voter

    I hear that reports are going to come out on Democrat Andrew Gillum when he went to Costa Rica with his friends… they were with a bunch of hookers! If this is true… it’s going to get veeeeeeery interesting…

  16. Anonymous

    Is there any substance to a FB report Gullium received a PAC donation of $250,000 from Soros?

  17. K. R. V.

    Being a new resident and registered voter here in the beautiful Sunshine State of Florida, this has been a great learning experience for the wife and I, both registered Independent from Massachusetts. We’re hoping for a red wave

    • T.R.

      George Soros Plantation puppet and Socialists, whose only goal is the expansion of government through regulation and taxation.

  18. Carmen Gayle

    Now go look at his campaign contributions. Hundreds of thousands given by George Soros. How long will America allows George Soros to pay off people to further his radical left wing agenda?

  19. Susan Dix

    We don’t need this crook to be our governor.
    I voted for DeSantis and a straight Republican ticket.
    WE the people don’t want socialist garbage policies that will
    break our economy. #walk away now. Vote REPUBLICAN to save America.

 

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