The Republican Governors Association has wasted no time in its counterstrike on Tallahassee Mayor and new Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. Gillum, who declared his candidacy Wednesday, found himself in hot water after it was discovered he used city email to conduct campaign business. By Wednesday afternoon, the RGA hit back at Gillum, filing a public records request to find out just how many times Gillum had improperly communicated using a campaign email address on taxpayers’ dime.
The request comes after the Tallahassee Democrat reported Tuesday that Gillum had used city tax dollars to blast out emails for his newly-minted gubernatorial campaign.
One email included Gillum’s campaign logo and campaign post office box address. Another included an invitation to an event featuring former Vice President Joe Biden in Tallahassee.
The RGA submitted a request under Florida’s Sunshine Law to Tallahassee city Treasurer James Cooke Wednesday afternoon. In the request, the group asks for any and all emails sent to or from anyone associated with Gillum’s campaign website, andrewgillum.com.
According to the Democrat, Gillum's office began using the web-based software in 2015. The city spent nearly $7,000 on the software, which included nearly $5,000 in general fund dollars and almost $2,000 from leftover campaign cash rolled into Gillum's office account.
The RGA slammed Gillum for the snafu and explained the purpose of its request was to paint an accurate picture of Gillum to Florida voters.
The group also called on Gillum to immediately fork over the emails.
“Florida voters won’t tolerate Andrew Gillum’s attempt to use government resources for his own election purposes,” RGA Communications Director Jon Thompson told Sunshine State News. “Gillum should immediately come clean and admit if he’s done this before, and if so, explain why he believes that he is above the law.”
Gillum apologized for the mishap Wednesday morning, adding he would pay and and all fees associated with the NGP VAN email system.
“It is ultimately my responsibility that an official government email system in my office was used to send messages that were not related to government business,” he said in a statement. “It was inadvertent, but that does not make it okay. I’m sorry, and I plan to reimburse the city of Tallahassee for all expenses related to the NGP email system.”
To the RGA, the apology felt hollow.
“Gillum apologized because he was caught, not because of his own admittance,” Thompson told SSN.
The RGA’s attacks are a baptism by fire for Gillum, who is one of the first major contenders to throw his name in the ring for the state’s highest office.
He faces a potentially crowded field for the Democratic nomination, including former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, uber lawyer John Morgan, Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn and Republican conservationist and alligator wrestler Ron Bergeron.
If elected, Gillum would become one of the youngest governors in the state’s history.
The RGA said it hoped the request shed light on any other wrongdoings in Gillum’s campaign.
“We hope this FOIA request will ensure Florida voters know the truth and find out if this wasn’t the only time Gillum used government resources for his own political ambitions,” Thompson said.
View the request below.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
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