Federal prosecutors asked a judge on Monday to dismiss the remaining corruption charges against Andrew Gillum, the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 2018.
Prosecutors stated they intended to retry Gillum after the trial concluded on May 4. However, they changed their minds in a one-paragraph motion that also sought the dismissal of the case against Sharon Lettman-Hicks.
Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Andrew Gillum
The jury exonerated Gillum of lying to the FBI. However, it could not reach a verdict on more than a dozen fraud and conspiracy charges alleging that Gillum and Lettman-Hicks diverted tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions for his personal use.
According to CHRON, the trial was presided over by US District Judge Allen Winsor, who did not immediately rule on the petition on Monday. The US attorney's office did not comment beyond the court filing.
In 2018, Gillum, a 43-year-old former mayor of Tallahassee, sought to become the first African-American governor in Florida's history. He was defeated by the Republican Ron DeSantis by a margin of fewer than 34,000 ballots, which triggered an automatic recount.
Prosecutors alleged that Gillum committed fraud because he struggled financially after leaving his $120,000-per-year position with the progressive group People for the American Way to run for governor.
Lettman-Hicks, a longtime political adviser of Gillum and former executive with the organization, was accused of conspiring with Gillum to divert campaign contributions to his accounts. Also, the jury was deadlocked on these counts.
The acquittal, partial mistrial, and explicit dismissal represented a significant setback for the government and its lengthy and costly Operation Capital Currency investigation, which began in 2015 with FBI agents posing as corrupt developers in Tallahassee.
Andrew Gillum Can Now Resume 'His Life and Public Service'
On May 4, following a nearly three-week trial, the jury acquitted Gillum on a single count of making false statements. However, it could not reach a verdict on 18 other counts of conspiracy and wire fraud against both defendants.
Several anonymous jurors revealed that the 12-person panel voted overwhelmingly in favor of acquittal but that two "biased" jurors prevented a unanimous verdict. If they proceeded with a retrial, federal prosecutors confronted significant tactical disadvantages, according to AZ Central.
Retrials also provide an opportunity for prosecutors to retool and refocus their cases. Given that the false statements charge and the then-interactions mayor's with undercover FBI agents were no longer in play, prosecutors would undoubtedly have altered their narrative in a retrial of Gillum.
Gillum's legal team of David Oscar Markus, Margot Moss, and Katie Miller stated, "Andrew Gillum had the courage to stand up and say 'I am innocent. And that is finally being recognized."
Gillum's defense team added that he can now "resume his life and public service."
Per Politico, a federal magistrate is scheduled to conduct a hearing on the case on Wednesday, when he is expected to rule on the prosecution's motion. Gillum tweeted a screenshot of the government motion with the words "But God" and prayer palms emoticons.
Gillum was a rising Democratic figure who narrowly lost the 2018 governor's election to Republican Ron DeSantis. DeSantis used an ongoing federal investigation into corruption at Tallahassee City Hall to attack his opponent during the election, although Gillum would not be prosecuted until four years later.
