Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has been charged with 21 felonies related to his failed Florida campaign in 2018 —the campaign he lost to now-Governor Ron DeSantis.
“A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 53, both of Tallahassee, Florida,” United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida said in a statement.
Gillum is claiming the charges are politically motivated, which doesn’t exactly add up considering he’s being charged by Joe Biden’s Department of Justice.
“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 statement continues. “The Indictment further alleges 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.”
“Both defendants are charged with 19 counts of wire fraud,” the statement added. “Gillum is also charged with making false statements to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
“If found guilty, Gillum faces up to 5 years in prison for making false statements, 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and 20 years in prison per charge for wire fraud,” The Daily Wire reports.