Undercover FBI agent got Gillum 'Hamilton' tickets, texts show

TALLAHASSEE – Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum accepted tickets to the Broadway show "Hamilton" from an undercover FBI agent leading a probe into the city's economic development agency, according to 150 pages of documents turned over to the Florida Commission on Ethics.

The records, released two weeks ahead of Election Day, are from Adam Corey, a lobbyist and longtime ally of Gillum. The commission subpoenaed the documents as part of its investigations into Gillum and Corey's trips to New York and Costa Rica.

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Also on the August 2016 Mike Miller, a FBI agent leading an investigation into Tallahassee's Community Redevelopment Agency. Gillum has not been successfully criticized by the law of the United States. Christopher Kise, Corey Attorney, Christopher Kise.

"Just checking in with you. Mike Miller and Hamilton tonight at 8 p.m., "Corey texted Gillum on Aug. 10, 2016.

The gubernatorial race, in which Gillum became the nominally Democratic surprise. The paper drops as more than 1 million voters have already cast ballots by mail, or at early voting sites, but one day ahead of Wednesday's final gubernatorial debate, an event that will now likely place a statewide focus on Gillum's role in the Corey records .

Gillum's supporters were largely told about the new discoveries, but those who viewed them were more likely to have a big political impact on his campaign.

"I think Comey has desensitized us to the FBI, and Trump has to everything," John Morgan, an Orlando trial attorney and Democratic fundraiser, said, referring to FBI Director James Comey. "I'm not sure a ticket, or whatever, is going to change many minds."

Florida Democratic consultant Screven Watson said with two weeks left, the race is more about "turnout than persuasion."

"Think someone will sit in Broward County because of Hamilton's discussion?" He asked.

The ticket had already been touched with Gillum.

Gillum became visibly upset with Republican gubernatorial opponent Ron DeSantis when he pressed him during an Oct. 21 debate on who paid for the "Hamilton" tickets.

"The question is, did you pay for the 'Hamilton' ticket, or did the undercover FBI pay agent for the 'Hamilton' ticket?" DeSantis asked at the debate.

"I did not take any free trips from anybody," Gillum responded. "I'm a hardworking person. I know that you do not fit your description of what you think people like me do. But I've worked hard for everything that I've gotten in my life, and I do not need anybody handing me anything for free. "

Gillum, in a statement issued by his campaign, said the records released on Tuesday.

"These records are more important than ever," Marcus, who was with a group of his own friends, "Gillum said.

Gillum has long maintained his innocence and said he is not a "target" of a federal investigation and notes he spoke freely to the agents of 2017.

But Bruce Zimet, a former federal prosecutor and current South Florida attorney who has defended public corruption cases, pointed out that the word "target" has a special definition in federal statute.

"A 'target' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ' He may be called a suspect because it is difficult to know. I hate to speculate about people like that. It just casts a wrong shadow or cloud over them. "

What's clear about the case, however, is that it is a highly staged affair for the FBI, whose agents likely wore wires.

"There's an agreement to get approval within the FBI if there's an investigation," Zimet said. "Generally speaking, there are any public officials involved, there's communication with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice itself, and they're usually working in conjunction with the FBI."

Zimet said the acceptance of gifts by Gillum is "probably not" a federal "theft of honest services" crime "if there is a certain quid pro quo attached to it," and a quid pro quo do something that gets you closer to criminality. "

During the gubernatorial debate, DeSantis also advocated Gillum on the basis of "villa in Costa Rica," a reference to his accommodations, which did not include Miller. Gillum has said he has paid for cash for the month of May 2016 Costa Rica accommodations, a contention in the newly released emails.

In one of the emails, from June 2016, Corey promised his accountant a breakdown of an $ 8,868 credit card charge. Corey's assistant

That list shows that Gillum and his wife, R. Jai Gillum, were responsible for $ 941.95, but that line was crossed out. A note next to it said, "HOLD ON BILLING." Gillum's email address was not included in a list of people who were invoiced for taking part in the Costa Rica trip.

In September, Kise said his client never received money from Gillum.

The trip was to celebrate R. Jai Gillum's birthday. Emails show Andrew Gillum requested one of his wife's favorite cake flavors.

The emails also show Gillum used for his American Express card to pay for airfare to Costa Rica.

"Thank you re: cake," Gillum wrote in an email to Corey staffer Cody Schwartz. "You're the best. She likes regular white cake, red cake (gold cupcakes), and pound cake. "

The text message exchanges that are part of the records released to the ethics commission stretch from June 2016 through the August 2016 trip to New York. They show that Miller, the undercover FBI agent, and Corey were regularly contacted, among other things, Gillum.

"I wanted to thank AG for his support last week," Miller texted. "Should I text or call him?"

Corey passed along Gillum's cellphone numbers, noting "I would just call him."

Kise, the attorney for Corey, said the records show "no criminal activity took place" involving his client.

"Mr. Corey seeks, "he said," to remove himself for the center of rampant and untoward speculation, "Kise said by email. "Hopefully, the disclosure of the facts is going to be done, and to move forward with his life and career."

Kise has a background in Republican politics, including serving as attorney on Gov. Rick Scott's transition team when he was elected, being appointed by Scott to the board of Florida Enterprise and giving more than $ 30,000 in contributions to Republican candidates over the past decade. Kise has also given to Democrats, but to a much smaller degree.

Marc Caputo contributed to this report.