Yesterday, Oct 18, the Andrew Gillum for Governor Campaign released the following statement in response to the new lying attack ad from Ron DeSantis and his allies:
“Ron DeSantis and his allies are lying and have consistently stooped to the lowest levels to attack the character of Mayor Gillum – a leader who spent the last 11 days helping his city recover from a devastating storm, continuing to always put Florida first. Floridians deserve better than these desperate, dirty tactics Ron DeSantis is deploying to distract from the fact he has no vision for Florida – it’s shameful,” said communications director Johanna Cervone.
Another False Republican Attack
Republicans: Tallahassee’s paper has said 20 FBI agents have spent 2 years investigating the city in Mayor Andrew Gillum’s tenure.
Gillum campaign:
This Is a Rehash of an Ad WFTV Has Already Found to Be False.According to WFTV, “While 9 Investigates was putting the ad to the Truth Test, finding it to be almost entirely without supporting facts, the Gillum campaign was warning TV stations across the state not to run the ad, sending out a cease-and-desist letter. The letter called the ad “demonstrably false,” saying that it had been made with “actual malice.” Despite the letter, Gillum supporters in a conference call with reporters Thursday afternoon admitted that the courts were not likely to get involved in the matter.” [WFTV, 10/11/18]
PolitiFact Rated DeSantis’ FBI Attacks as False. According to PolitiFact, “After news of the FBI investigation became public in June 2017, Gillum said he met with the FBI the previous week. Gillum met with the FBI at his home without a lawyer, he says. His lawyer in a related ethics matter said that the FBI has not asked for a subsequent meeting with Gillum. We don’t know the full story behind the FBI investigation yet, because law enforcement have made no announcements about the case. But there is no evidence that Gillum has run from the FBI. We rate this statement False.” [PolitiFact, 10/12/18]
Tampa Bay Times Editorial: Gillum’s Campaign “Has Been Unfairly Clouded By a Lengthy Federal Investigation Into Local Government in Tallahassee That Has Produced No Criminal Charges.” According to a Tampa Bay Times editorial, “In this field, Levine is the brashest CEO-type. Gillum is the most charismatic, but his campaign has been unfairly clouded by a lengthy federal investigation into local government in Tallahassee that has produced no criminal charges. King unabashedly calls for the most liberal change, and Greene could alter the race with his bottomless checkbook. Yet Florida remains a purple state, and Democrats need to decide whether they want to send a liberal message or send someone to the Governor’s Mansion.” [Tampa Bay Times, editorial, 8/3/18]
Mayor Gillum Was Told By the FBI He Is Not a Target, and Has Released His Own Personal Financial Records. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Gillum has repeatedly said he was told by the FBI he is not the target of its investigation and, after meeting with the Florida Commission on Ethics Tuesday morning, he released receipts from two trips he took that have drawn attention because of the probe.” [Tampa Bay Times, 9/4/18]
