Key takeaways:
- Andrew Gillum was acquitted of lying to the FBI in a corruption case.
- The jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges that Gillum funneled tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money to personal accounts.
- Gillum has maintained his innocence throughout the case and said he was “relieved” by the jury’s decision.
Former Florida Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Gillum was acquitted Thursday of lying to the FBI in a corruption case that also involved illegal use of campaign contributions. The federal jury found Gillum not guilty of lying to undercover FBI agents posing as developers who paid for a 2016 trip he took with his brother to New York, including hotel rooms, meals, a boat tour and a ticket to the theater.
However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges that Gillum funneled tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money to personal accounts. Gillum’s defense argued that he was struggling financially after quitting his $120,000-a-year job with the People for the American Way group to run for governor.
Gillum, who narrowly lost to Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018, was the first African American to be a major-party nominee for governor in Florida. He has since become a political commentator for CNN.
The case against Gillum was part of a larger investigation into corruption in Tallahassee, the state capital. The investigation resulted in convictions of two of Gillum’s associates, including a former city commissioner.
Gillum has maintained his innocence throughout the case and said he was “relieved” by the jury’s decision. He thanked his supporters and said he was looking forward to continuing to serve the public.
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