Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum is facing a 21-count federal indictment for alleged fraud in connection with his 2018 campaign, which he lost against Gov. Ron DeSantis. Gillum and one of his top advisers, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, are set to appear in court on Wednesday, The Daily Beast reports. They are being charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making false statements.
“The Indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2019, defendants Gillum and Lettman-Hicks conspired to commit wire fraud, by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
According to the indictment, “the defendants used third parties to divert a portion of those funds to a company owned by Lettman-Hicks, who then fraudulently provided the funds, disguised as payroll payments, to Gillum for his personal use.”
In a statement to NBC News, Gillum denied the allegations.
“I have spent the last 20 years of my life in public service and continue to fight for the people,” he told NBC News. “Every campaign I’ve run has been done with integrity. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political. Throughout my career I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power. There’s been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee. They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now.”
Attorneys Marc Elias and David Oscar, who are representing Gillum, said “the government got it wrong today.”
“The evidence in this case is clear and will show that Mr. Gillum is innocent of all charges,” the lawyers told NBC News. “We look forward to putting this case to rest and giving Andrew and his family peace of mind once and for all.”
