Andrew Gillum, who gained national attention as a Democratic candidate for Florida governor, has been arrested in Daphne, Alabama, on charges of possession of dangerous drugs, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia, according to jail records. Gillum was booked on Thursday and released the same day.
The specifics of the "dangerous drugs" involved were not immediately clear. If convicted of the marijuana offense, a Class A misdemeanor in Alabama, Gillum could face up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine.
This arrest follows a 2020 incident in Miami Beach where Gillum was found inebriated in a hotel room with a male escort and suspected crystal meth. At the time, Gillum denied using methamphetamines, stating he had consumed too much alcohol and later entered a rehabilitation facility. He attributed his struggles to depression following his narrow loss to Ron DeSantis in the 2018 gubernatorial election.
Gillum, 46, was not arrested or charged in connection with the 2020 hotel incident. He had previously appeared on CNN as a political commentator after his gubernatorial run.
In 2022, Gillum faced accusations of conspiring with a former mentor to divert campaign contributions for personal use. A mistrial was declared on one conspiracy charge and 17 fraud offenses in that case.