Former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum Settles Ethics Complaint
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) -- Just before he was to go before an administrative hearing on Wednesday, former gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum agreed to pay a $5,000 fine to settle an ethics complaint that he violated civil law by accepting a gift from a lobbyist.
His attorney Barry Richard said afterward that the one count involved a free boat ride in New York.
After Gillum agreed to the fine, the state Ethics Commission dropped four additional counts of violations.
The result ends a lengthy ethics investigation that factored heavily in Gillum's unsuccessful campaign for governor last year, when Republican then-candidate Ron DeSantis repeatedly criticized Gillum over the allegations. Gillum denied them at the time.
Gillum said in a statement Wednesday he "never knowingly violated any ethics laws. Once I was made aware of one issue, I took responsibility."
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