Andrew Gillum, ex-Florida Democratic governor nominee, acquitted of lying to FBI

A federal jury found former Florida Democratic nominee for governor Andrew Gillum not guilty of lying to the FBI. But the jury deadlocked on 18 other counts, including conspiracy and wire fraud, leading the court to declare a mistrial.

The jury’s Thursday decision came after the trial in a Tallahassee courthouse focused on allegations against Gillum and his longtime mentor Sharon Lettman-Hicks that they diverted campaign funds into a separate company owned by Lettman-Hicks, according to CBS News.

Gillum, the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor and Tallahassee’s former mayor, was considered a star in the Democratic Party, nearly defeating Ron DeSantis in the general election.

The government will retry both Gillum and Lettman-Hicks on the conspiracy and wire fraud counts, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Milligan II said, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Gillum has maintained his innocence and thanked his family, wife and supporters. 

“They have quite literally tried to take everything from us. And the beauty is in our system the powers that be don’t always get to decide. Everyday people like you and me sometimes get our swing at the ball,” Gillum said to reporters outside the courthouse.