Former Democratic nominee for governor of Florida and ex-mayor of Tallahassee, Andrew Gillum, has been found not guilty of lying to the FBI while deadlocking on 18 other counts. The charges against Gillum and his longtime political mentor, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, stem from allegations of illegally using political contributions to pay Gillum. Prosecutors claimed that Gillum took tens of thousands of dollars in political donations and funneled them through Lettman-Hicks’ company into their own bank accounts. They also alleged that Gillum lied about his interactions with undercover FBI agents who posed as developers and paid for an outing Gillum took to New York.[0] Gillum faced charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and lying to federal investigators at various times between 2016 and 2019.[1] Lettman-Hicks faced the same charges as Gillum.[0] The jury was unable to reach consensus on one count of conspiracy and 17 counts of wire fraud against both defendants, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial on those counts.
The trial, which lasted for two weeks, saw the jurors struggling to reach a verdict.[2] They sent a note to U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor on Tuesday saying they had reached agreement on the false-statements charge but were unable to come to a unanimous decision on at least one other charge.[2] The next day, they asked for paper copies of all the exhibits.[3] On Thursday, after five days of deliberations and behind-the-scenes drama, the jury was unable to reach consensus on one count of conspiracy and 17 counts of wire fraud against both defendants. The judge declared a mistrial on those counts.[4]
The charges against Gillum and Lettman-Hicks were related to activities between 2016 and 2019, as Gillum rose to national political stardom. Despite being once seen as a promising figure in the Democratic Party, Gillum was defeated in the 2018 gubernatorial election by Republican Ron DeSantis, with a margin of less than 34,000 votes.[5] Prosecutors alleged that Gillum and Lettman-Hicks illegally steered political contributions to their personal accounts during his 2018 run for governor. Gillum fell short by only 32,000 votes in his attempt to defeat former U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis.[6]
As the not-guilty verdict was announced in a crowded courtroom, Gillum wiped away tears.[2] A few feet behind him sat his wife, weeping silently.[2] Amidst tears, she and her family members held onto each other tightly as the court deputy declared that there was no decision on the 17 additional charges, which included conspiring to commit wire fraud and committing wire fraud.[2] Lettman-Hicks said “As much justice as possible is served.[7] Praise be to God, Andrew Gillum has been acquitted.[2] Everything else is just a performance.[2]
The trial was not without drama. One of the 12 jurors in the Andrew Gillum trial posted selfies taken outside the federal courthouse along with comments about how long deliberations were lasting and yesterday’s abrupt move by the jury to recess at 3:30 p.m., well before the normal daily quitting time.[8] The discovery disrupted the deliberations, and after much discussion and strategizing with attorneys, Winsor allowed the juror to continue on the case.[9]
The trial drew national attention as Gillum was once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party. The charges against him and Lettman-Hicks, his longtime political mentor, were serious and could have resulted in significant prison time. While Gillum has been found not guilty of lying to the FBI, the other charges against him and Lettman-Hicks will likely be retried.
0. “Democratic rising star Andrew Gillum found not guilty of lying to the FBI, jury deadlocked on 17 other charges” Washington Examiner, 4 May. 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaign/andrew-gillum-guilty/notguilty-public-corruption-trial
1. “Jury deliberates in federal trial of Gillum, Lettman-Hicks” WTXL ABC 27 Tallahassee News, 1 May. 2023, https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/jury-deliberates-in-federal-trial-of-gillum-lettman-hicks
2. “Gillum Acquitted on Lying, Mistrial on Conspiracy and Fraud” FlaglerLive.com, 4 May. 2023, https://flaglerlive.com/gillum-acquitted-mistrial/
3. “Jury says Andrew Gillum not guilty of lying to FBI; deadlocks on other charges” Brunswick News, 4 May. 2023, https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/national_news/jury-says-andrew-gillum-not-guilty-of-lying-to-fbi-deadlocks-on-other-charges/article_c197627e-7359-5d8c-99d1-50ea73f0c420.html
4. “Andrew Gillum trial: Updates from the courtroom as jury deliberates” Tallahassee Democrat, 2 May. 2023, https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/fbi/2023/05/02/jurors-in-andrew-gillum-trial-wrestle-with-false-statements-charge-again-as-deliberations-enter-thir/70173700007/
5. “Former Democratic nominee for Florida governor Andrew Gillum found not guilty of lying to FBI” msnNOW, 5 May. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/former-democratic-nominee-for-florida-governor-andrew-gillum-found-not-guilty-of-lying-to-fbi/ar-AA1aKNnS
6. “Former candidate for Florida governor Andrew Gillum found not guilty of lying to FBI” Yahoo! Voices, 4 May. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-candidate-florida-governor-andrew-194336775.html
7. “Andrew Gillum not guilty verdict: What happened inside the courtroom” Tallahassee Democrat, 4 May. 2023, https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2023/05/04/andrew-gillum-not-guilty-verdict-what-happened-inside-the-courtroom/70185247007/
8. “Juror’s Social-Media Posts Roil Gillum Case” tallahasseereports.com, 4 May. 2023, https://tallahasseereports.com/2023/05/03/jurors-social-media-posts-roil-gillum-case
9. “Andrew Gillum verdict: Not guilty of lying to FBI; deadlock on other charges” Tallahassee Democrat, 4 May. 2023, https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/fbi/2023/05/04/andrew-gillum-jury-deliberations-day-5-updates-as-jury-struggles/70182513007/
