Former Democrat candidate for Florida governor, Andrew Gillum, was arrested in Daphne, Alabama, last week on several drug charges, including possession of “dangerous drugs” after a search of his car uncovered three grams of methamphetamine.
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Police stopped Gillum, 46, on Thursday for erratic driving and during the stop, one of the officers saw a glass pipe on the center console of the vehicle, the Miami Herald reported.
This led to a probable cause search of his car and the recovery of a bong, three glass pipes, eight marijuana cigarettes, several “blunts,” four cut straws, and three grams of meth, according to the police report.
Gillum was booked into the Baldwin County Jail on three charges: possession of dangerous drugs (a felony), possession of drug paraphernalia, and second-degree possession of marijuana. The Democrat posted a combined $6,500 bond and was released the next day. The felony charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and a $7,500 fine.
This incident follows a history of legal issues for Gillum, including the sordid affair at a hotel in Miami Beach in 2020, when he was found heavily intoxicated with two other men (described as male escorts), one of whom was suspected of overdosing.
The police report described the Miami hotel room as messy, with scattered pill bottles and pills, a vomit-covered pillow on the floor, stained sheets, empty beer bottles, and three bags of suspected crystal meth, which he denied using.
“I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends,” Gillum said in the statement at the time. “While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines. I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement.
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No criminal charges were filed despite the three bags of crystal meth found in the room.
Possession of Methamphetamine under Florida Statute § 893.13(6)(a), is a third degree felony.
Gillum also faced a federal indictment in 2022 for wire fraud and conspiracy related to campaign funds, and making false statements to the FBI. He was acquitted of lying to the feds in May of 2023 and the other charges were dismissed due to the deadlocked jury.
“Today, we are celebrating a victory for justice,” Gillum stated on social media following his acquittal. “We are immensely grateful for your support throughout this difficult journey,” he posted, along with the image below.
Gillum became a nationally recognized political figure in 2018 when he won the Democrat nomination for governor of Florida with the strong backing of former president Barack Obama (D.). He narrowly lost the general election to Republican Ron DeSantis by 34,000 votes.
Prior to that, he served as mayor of Tallahassee from 2014 to 2018 and previously served on the Tallahassee City Commission. During his term as mayor, Gillum was “dogged by ethics probes,” according to the Herald.
Gillum has not yet publicly commented on the Alabama drug charges.
