Records show that undercover FBI agents gave Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) a ticket to “Hamilton” in 2016, contrary to his campaign’s previous explanation.
Former lobbyist Adam Corey’s lawyer, Chris Kise, released the records Tuesday, only two weeks before the gubernatorial election in which Gillum narrowly leads his Republican opponent, former Rep. Ron DeSantis, according to RealClearPolitics.
The documents were originally reported by the Tampa Bay Times, and Kise forwarded them to The Hill.
{mosads}Text messages between Gillum and former lobbyist Adam Corey, who set up meetings with the agents, according to the Times, show Gillum knew the tickets came from “Mike Miller.”
“Miller” was posing as a developer delving into city corruption, but was actually a federal agent investigating Tallahassee public corruption, the Times reports.
“Mike Miller and the crew have tickets for us for Hamilton tonight at 8 p.m.,” Corey wrote to Gillum on Aug. 10, 2016.
“Awesome news about ‘Hamilton,'” Gillum replied.
Kise told The Hill in a statement that the records reflect the fact that “no criminal activity took place” by Corey.
But the messages contradict what Gillum’s campaign said in a Sep. 4 press release, according to the Times.
His campaign explained that Gillum’s brother, Marcus, gave him the ticket.
“After the trip, Mayor Gillum learned Marcus Gillum had obtained that ticket in a swap with Adam Corey for a concert ticket,” the campaign said.
Gillum said in a statement forwarded to The Hill Tuesday that the records support him against allegations of corruption.
“These records vindicate and add more evidence that at every turn I was paying my own way or was with my family, for all trips, including picking up tickets from my brother, Marcus, who was with a group of his own friends,” he wrote.