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Andrew Gillum: Former FL gubernatorial candidate involved in incident where suspected meth found

Posted at 12:00 PM, Mar 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-13 13:01:36-04

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Former Tallahassee Mayor and Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was involved in an incident at a Miami Beach hotel room, where police discovered what is suspected to be crystal meth.

It happened early Friday morning at the Mondrian South Beach Hotel. Gillum was not arrested or cited for the incident.

Officers from Miami Beach Police Department made contact with two men inside the hotel room, one of whom was Gillum, under the influence of unknown substances.

Fire Rescue also responded and found Gillum in the room and another man who was suffering from a possible drug overdose.

That man was transported for treatment.

On Friday, Gillum addressed the incident and admitted to being in the hotel room.

"I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends," Gillum said in a statement. "While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines. I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement."

"I’m thankful to the incredible Miami Beach EMS team for their efforts. I will spend the next few weeks with my family and appreciate privacy during this time."

According to a case report, Gillum was seen vomiting in the bathroom and the other man was reportedly having difficulty breathing before collapsing.

Officers at the scene tried to speak with Gillum, but he was unable to communicate due to his inebriated state, police say.

Inside the hotel room, officers observed in plain sight three small clear plastic baggies containing suspected crystal meth on both the bed and the floor.

The baggies were taken as evidence.

Police say Gillum left the hotel room and returned to his residence without incident.

Andrew Gillum Miami Beach Police Report by PeterBurke on Scribd

This story was originally published by WFTS in Tampa, Florida.