Andrew Gillum calls on judge to dismiss indictment, citing lengthy delay and “selective prosecution”
Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum claims he was targeted because he is black
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum is asking a federal judge to dismiss the indictments against him, citing a lengthy delay in filing them and what his attorneys call “selective relentless investigation and prosecution.”
Gillum was indicted in June and accused of conspiracy, fraud, and one count of lying to the FBI. His campaign advisor and longtime friend, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, was also charged.
Gillum’s attorney filed three separate motions to dismiss on Tuesday and requested a hearing to determine whether Gillum was unfairly prosecuted.
“Gillum is entitled to discovery and an evidentiary hearing on whether he was singled out, investigated, and prosecuted because he was a Black candidate for Governor, as appears to be the case,” defense attorney David Oscar Markus said. “Gillum was the target of a relentless year-long undercover operation while campaigning for public office while other gubernatorial candidates against whom significant allegations were made were not subjected to any such investigation during or after their campaigns.”
Markus cited several news articles and went on to say, “nor did the Government initiate an undercover sting operation to try and lure Ron DeSantis or Rick Scott and those around them to enter into a quid pro quo arrangement. The year-long sting operation against a gubernatorial candidate, during which undercover agents pretended to be Gillum’s friends and befriended those around Gillum, appears to be unprecedented.”
Markus argued Ron DeSantis used the investigation as a smear tactic during the 2018 campaign, which DeSantis ultimately won by just over 32,000 votes.
The filings in Gillum’s case came on Election Day 2022, the same day Governor DeSantis won re-election for a second term.
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