Former Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Arrested in Alabama
A Democratic politician, Andrew Demetric Gillum, who previously ran for governor of Florida, has encountered legal trouble again, this time in Alabama.
Gillum was stopped due to erratic driving, and police discovered methamphetamine and related drug paraphernalia in his possession, according to the Daphne Police Department.
A search of his vehicle reportedly uncovered three boxes of methamphetamine.
Back in 2018, Gillum was the Democratic nominee for Florida’s governorship but lost to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis by a narrow margin—just 33,000 votes, which is less than 1% of the total.
On Thursday night, he was arrested and taken to the Daphne City Jail.
Police reported that the 46-year-old was pulled over on Route 98 near North Main Street around 10:45 p.m., where an officer spotted a glass pipe in the center console of his car.
A further search yielded not only the methamphetamine but also several rolled marijuana cigarettes.
Gillum faces charges for possession of a hazardous drug, marijuana possession, and possession of drug paraphernalia, as per prison records.
He has since been moved from the city jail to the Baldwin County Correctional Facility.
This isn’t the first time Gillum has faced drug-related issues. In 2020, he was found at an overdose scene where he was intoxicated and unable to contact law enforcement. Officers reportedly found three small plastic bags containing suspected meth in the hotel room.
After that incident, Gillum stated he had attended a wedding and consumed too much alcohol, denying any involvement with methamphetamine.
The individual who overdosed in that hotel room later identified himself as an escort. Gillum has since publicly acknowledged his bisexuality.
In a later statement reflecting on the hotel incident, he mentioned feeling especially vulnerable and claimed that he was taken advantage of during an unconscious state.
Moreover, Gillum faced an indictment on approximately 20 counts of wire fraud in 2022 but was acquitted of all charges.
