Gillum not listed as 'subject' in FBI affidavit, but political damage may already be done (POLITICO)

When news of the investigation became public over the summer, Gillum’s campaign, which was off to a fast start, hit a wall. | AP Photo

Gillum not listed as 'subject' in FBI affidavit, but political damage may already be done
By MATT DIXON 02/06/2018 06:00 AM EST

TALLAHASSEE — FBI documents inadvertently made public Monday outline a corruption case against a prominent Tallahassee City commissioner, but may give some relief to Andrew Gillum, the city’s mayor and Democratic candidate for governor.

An affidavit given by an FBI agent seeking a search warrant for phone records from Apple described a pay-for-play scheme allegedly orchestrated by Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox, who is the star of the 25-page affidavit that accuses him of taking votes that benefited a lobbying firm he was profiting from.

Maddox and his longtime associate Paige Carter-Smith are listed as "subjects" of the investigation. The affidavit was apparently inadvertently posted with online court records. It was quickly taken down once federal officials realized it had been released, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

The FBI has been staking out the city since 2015, investigating “alleged corruption by local officials in Tallahassee.” 

When news of the investigation became public over the summer, Gillum’s campaign, which was off to a fast start, hit a wall. His fundraising largely dried up, and any public messaging got hijacked by questions about his role in the scandal or if the FBI was targeting him. 

In a June statement, Gillum said he had spoken with FBI officials who assured him that he was “not the focus of an investigation,” but he has struggled to regain momentum for his campaign, which was boosted early by quick cash infusions from the likes of Democratic super donor George Soros, and famed producer Norman Lear.

In an official statement released by his mayoral office in Tallahassee, Gillum said Monday that he wants anyone who broke the law to be held “accountable."

“As I have said from Day One, any wrongdoing found in City Hall should be uncovered and any individuals involved held accountable," he said. "As Tallahasseeans, we are all troubled by what we’ve read, and are hopeful for a just and speedy conclusion to this unfortunate matter.”

His campaign said it would return a $10,000 check to Gillum’s political committee from Governance Services LLC, the Maddox-tied lobbying firm at the center of the FBI probe.

“After reading today's report, we decided to return their check,” said Geoff Burgan, a Gillum campaign spokesman. “Tallahassee needs to move forward, as do we, from this unfortunate situation.”

The affidavit, penned by FBI agent Evan Hurley, says Maddox, a former Tallahassee mayor and chair of the Florida Democratic primary, took votes as a city commissioner that benefited clients of Governance, the lobbying firm he founded. Maddox publicly said he was no longer associated with the firm, but court records reviewed by federal investigators reveal he or his direct family members have received nearly $600,000 from the firm since late 2012. 

On paper, the firm is run by Carter-Smith, who served as Maddox's chief of staff when he was mayor. The FBI interviewed an unnamed former Governance employee who said that Carter-Smith “did whatever Maddox wanted.”

Gillum’s campaign fundraising did rebound slightly in December — his campaign and committee raised more than $260,000 — but it’s unclear if he will be able to recapture political momentum.

A Mason-Dixon poll released Tuesday of Democratic primary voters shows Gillum trailing front-runner Gwen Graham, a former congresswoman and daughter of former Gov. Bob Graham, and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. Graham clings to a 17-20 percent lead over Levine, with Gillum at 10 percent and Winter Park businessman Chris King at 4 percent. The primary is Aug. 28.

One Democratic consultant not affiliated with any Democratic gubernatorial candidate said Gillum may have run out of time to recover. “I hope it’s not too late, but all signs point to yes," the consultant said.

A Democratic operative said the fact no other candidate in the Democratic primary has “connected” means Gillum could remain in the game. “He’s still the best situated to connect viscerally,” he said. “His issue isn’t really with voters, though, he has to get a dozen or so big time state and federal donors to believe again.”

“It’s 2018, if you can get three billionaires bought in, you can win,” the same Democratic operative added.