Published by RawNews1st
Andrew Gillum, a former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has been arrested again in Alabama, just over a month after a prior arrest in July.
According to court documents, a judge on Thursday ordered Gillum, 46, to be taken to the Baldwin County Jail after he missed a drug screening and tested positive for methamphetamine in a drug court appearance Thursday.
Prosecutors previously weighed sending Gillum to drug court instead of pursuing criminal prosecution.
Health officials are urging the public to take precautions and seek medical attention immediately
Gillum served on the Tallahassee City Commission beginning in 2003 and became mayor in 2014. He served as mayor until 2018, when he left City Hall to run for governor.
His 2018 gubernatorial campaign transformed Gillum into a national political figure. He won the Democratic nomination and came within roughly 34,000 votes of defeating Republican Ron DeSantis in the general election.
Gillum’s political career subsequently unraveled amid a series of personal and legal controversies.
In July, Gillum was arrested in Baldwin County, Alabama, after authorities said a traffic stop led to the discovery of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and substances that tested positive for methamphetamine. He was released from jail the following day.
In March 2020, Gillum was found by Miami Beach police in a hotel room with another man who had apparently overdosed. Police also reported finding suspected methamphetamine in the room. Gillum was not arrested in that incident, but he subsequently announced that he would seek treatment for alcohol abuse and step away from public life.
Gillum’s fall from one of Tallahassee’s most prominent political figures has been dramatic.
He entered the Tallahassee City Commission as a young politician in 2003 and eventually became one of the most prominent progressive voices in Florida politics. His 2018 campaign attracted national attention and made him a potential rising star within the Democratic Party.
Instead, his political career was followed by personal struggles, criminal investigations and the latest drug-related allegations.
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