Judge sets new trial date in Gillum, Lettman-Hicks conspiracy and fraud case

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A U.S. District Judge set a new trial date of April 17, 2023 for Andrew Gillum and Sharon Lettman-Hicks.

A status hearing in the case was conducted by phone Thursday morning.

Former Tallahassee Mayor and former Florida Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and campaign advisor Sharon Lettman-Hicks were indicted by a federal grand jury in June. The pair is charged with conspiracy and fraud. They’re accused of funneling campaign contributions for their personal use.

Gillum vehemently denies the accusations saying the case “is not legal, it is political,” and Lettman-Hicks questioned the timing of the indictment, just days after she qualified to run for the Florida House of Representatives.

Defense attorneys had requested a continuance of the original August 16th trial date, citing “voluminous” evidence in the case. Defense attorney David Markus told the judge “we’re going to need some time to go through it.”

Federal prosecutor Andrew Grogan told the judge Thursday that the “vast majority” of the government’s evidence in the case has already been turned over to the defense. He said that includes approximately 300 documents and approximately 150 recordings. Grogan deemed 18 of those recordings “significant” to the government’s case.

U.S District Judge Allen Winsor said jury selection would start on Monday, April 17, 2023 and he’d be blocking out two weeks for the trial.

“It is my hope that we wouldn’t have to move it again,” Winsor said.

The indictments stemmed from an undercover FBI investigation into corruption in the Capital City. The same investigation led to charges and convictions for former Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox, associate Paige Carter-Smith and developer JT Burnette. All are currently serving federal prison sentences.

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