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"Does he have lobbyist friends? You bet, "said Allan Katz, a former city commissioner who served with Mr. Gillum and later became Obama's ambassador to Portugal. "Did I have lobbyist friends? You bet."
And as Mr. Gillum seeks to occupy the highest position in the state, at least one of these friends has brought baggage, dragging his name in a F.B.I branded letter. investigation and, unbeknownst to him, placing him in an extended company of undercover agents. About two years ago, a lobbyist, Adam Corey, who had close relations with Mr. Gillum since their student government, introduced him to men who identified themselves as promoters of the city's eager wishful thinking. invest in a property located in the south of Tallahassee – were in fact working undercover to investigate the city's community redevelopment agency for possible corruption.
Mr Gillum insisted that investigators tell him that he was not their target and the investigation has not yet resulted in indictments. Submission documents revealed, however, that Mr. Gillum had made two personal trips in 2016 with Mr. Corey: one in Costa Rica with Mr. Pittman, one of Gillum's senior advisers, and another in New York with Mr. Gillum's younger brother and the agents. Mr. Gillum stated that he had taken charge of most of the trip, his brother offering him a "Hamilton" performance on Broadway and a stay at the hotel. The Florida Ethics Commission is investigating both trips. Gillum's younger brother, Marcus, declined to comment and a lawyer for Mr. Corey declined to provide further details of the case.
Mr. Gillum's supporters have said that any smell of irregularity is incompatible with the man and the city, they know it.
"There is no corruption in the city of Tallahassee," said Curtis Richardson, acting mayor of the city, in an interview. (Later, he seemed to cover himself slightly: "It's not like it's systemic corruption, but multiple people are involved, and that's from the top." It's not at all it.")
Mr. Katz, the former commissioner, stated that Mr. Gillum had been too ambitious for too long to behave imprudently. "He has always sought a political future for himself and was therefore extremely cautious, in my opinion," said Mr Katz. "But all of us who have been involved in politics are sometimes in the wrong room with the wrong guy."
Mr. Gillum particularly criticized the labels that were applied to him during the investigation, which, in his opinion, fails to capture the entire case. "You only put characters in characters:" lobbyist and mayor, "said the mayor about the lobbyist's record during a 45-minute interview at a local cafe. "I very easily have the time to say no to friends."
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