Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has been formally charged following his recent arrest in Alabama, with prosecutors filing one felony charge and two misdemeanour counts against the Democrat.
According to court records, Gillum is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine, as well as misdemeanour possession of marijuana for personal use and possession of drug paraphernalia. Prosecutors allege the offences took place on July 2 in Baldwin County, Alabama.
Gillum was arrested last week on U.S. Highway 98 near Walmart Drive in Daphne after police reportedly stopped his vehicle for alleged erratic driving. Authorities said officers recovered approximately three grams of methamphetamine, eight pre-rolled marijuana joints, four cut straws, three pipes and a bong during the stop.
Gillum, a former mayor of Tallahassee, served in the role from 2014 to 2018 before running for governor of Florida. He won the Democratic nomination in the 2018 gubernatorial election but narrowly lost the general election to Republican candidate Ron DeSantis by about 30,000 votes. The case is expected to proceed through the Alabama court system.
