An FBI probe into public corruption in Tallahassee, Florida, has clouded Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum’s run for governor in the aftermath of his primary victory last week.
Gillum, the city’s mayor, could be tarnished by the ongoing investigation of possible corruption by out-of-town developers influencing public development projects, CNN reported.
Gillum has denied any wrongdoing but his name has been linked by his Republican opponent.
“He is embroiled in a lot of corruption scandals,” Rep. Ron DeSantis said last week, according to Fox News. “This guy can't even run the city of Tallahassee. There is no way Florida voters can entrust him with our entire state.”
Gillum hit back with a statement, released through his spokesperson, reiterating that he was not a subject of the FBI investigation and that he was committed to rooting out corruption.
“We're not going to take ethics lectures from Congressman Ron DeSantis, who is marching in lockstep with the most morally, ethically and legally challenged president in American history,” said Geoff Burgan, Gillum's spokesman, according to CNN.
During the probe, undercover agents posed as developers in an attempt to snuff out public corruption and got close to city officials and lobbyists, CNN reported.
Last June, thousands of records were subpoenaed by FBI agents and made available online, naming various city officials and power brokers. Gillum was not named.
Jon Thompson, a spokesman for the Republican Governors Association, told CNN the probe would haunt Gillum’s gubernatorial campaign and “will be a very lethal attack.”
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