Who is former Tallahassee mayor and candidate for Florida governor Andrew Gillum?

Former Tallahassee mayor and 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida governor Andrew Gillum was arrested Wednesday, along with longtime advisor Sharon Lettman-Hicks, on federal campaign-related charges.

It's the latest in a long series of ups and downs in Gillum's career as a former rising star in Florida politics. Here's a look at the highlights and lowlights.

Gillum arrested: Former Mayor, candidate for governor Andrew Gillum and adviser arrested on federal charges

Gillum started in politics while still in school

Andrew Gillum, 42, was born in Miami and raised in Gainesville, the fifth of seven children. After graduating from Gainesville High he moved to Tallahassee to major in political science at Florida A&M. He served as a senator in the Student Government Association, Senate President and SGA president 2001 to 2002. He was the first student member of the Board of Trustees.

While he was still a student he ran for the city commission. At age 23 Gillum was the youngest person to be elected to the Tallahassee City Commission, where he served for 11 years.

In 2009 Gillum married fellow FAMU grad R. Jai Howard. They have three children.

Gillum coasted into Tallahassee mayor's office

The mayoral primary in 2014 was a three-way race between Gillum, Andrew Hendricks and Zack Richardson and Gillum won handily with 75% of the vote. He became mayor when his opposition, write-in candidate Evin Matthews, dropped out.

Gillum was a popular mayor for many and was seen as a shining star in the Democrat party. New York Times columnist Frank Bruni named Gillum to his "14 Young Democrats to Watch" in 2016 and he was one of 39 people listed as possible vice-president contenders for Hillary Clinton in an email leaked on WikiLeaks.

He also made national headlines by stopping the National Rifle Association in their lawsuit against the city over an ordinance that outlawed firearms use in public parks, debating House Speaker Richard Corcoran on a so-called "sanctuary cities" ban, and by calling on then-Gov. Rick Scott to declare an emergency and suspend the state’s Stand Your Ground law until the Legislature can provide clarity on how and when the law is applied.

Gillum accused of state ethics violations for emails

In 2017, Gillum was forced to apologize and reimburse the city for the money his office used on software to send email with political messages to constituents.

Gillum's chief of staff, Dustin Daniels, said the software, NGP VAN, was not used for political purposes. Daniels was later fined.

Gillum's apology came on the day before his announcement that he was running for governor. But questions about his official use of campaign-related and political emails continued. State ethics rules prohibit public officials from "corruptly" using their position, staff or resources for personal gain. They also prohibit public employees from campaigning on behalf of their favorite candidates on the taxpayer's time.

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In 2018 Andrew Gillum almost beat DeSantis to become the governor of Florida anyway

The once-rising Democratic politician's race against Republican candidate Ron DeSantis drew national attention after Gillum pulled a stunning defeat over the considered favorite, congresswoman Gwen Graham, pledged to work for progressive goals such as gun control, health care and environmental issues, and traded barbs with former President Donald Trump.

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Despite an FBI corruption probe chronicled extensively by the Tallahassee Democrat and ethics complaint against him, Gillum lost in an incredibly close race — about 32,000 votes out of eight million cast — thanks to a coalition of energized young urban and older liberal voters and a large, loyal following including Alec Baldwin, Grant Hill, Norman Lear, Jane Fonda, Tyler Perry, Diddy, Bernie Sanders, and more.

"You have one of the most exciting young leaders in the nation,” Then-presidential-candidate Joe Biden told University of South Florida students, in a late campaign appearance.

Gillum conceded twice, once when preliminary returns showed DeSantis leading by a slim margin that narrowed again when South Florida ballots came in, and again after that triggered Florida's first gubernatorial election machine recount that still favored his GOP opponent. The final tally was 4,075,445 for DeSantis and 4,041,762 for Gillum.

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Even after his loss, Gillum was seen as the next big thing.

“Mayor Gillum’s future is indeed bright. He will remain a force to be reckoned with and he is smart to explore every potential option,” said Steve Vancore, a Tallahassee-based consultant.

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Gillum's PAC money went for legal fees from corruption probe

After his gubernatorial loss, Gillum said the remaining $3 million in his political fundraising committee would go toward helping other Democrats get elected in Florida. Instead, it was continually tapped to pay for legal and other expenses incurred during a lengthy federal probe into corruption at Tallahassee City Hall.

That probe led to indictments of Gillum’s one-time colleague, City Commissioner Scott Maddox, former Downtown Improvement Authority Executive Director Paige Carter-Smith, wealthy developer John “J.T.” Burnette and former campaign treasurer and lobbyist Adam Corey. One federal subpoena demanded records dating back to Gillum’s first year as mayor, along with more recent records involving his gubernatorial campaign and his political action committee, Forward Florida, which raised nearly $37 million for the election, though more money has come in since.

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Back story: Andrew Gillum's other job: P&P Communications shares building with campaign HQ

The subpoena also requested information about Sharon Lettman-Hicks, one of Gillum’s oldest and closest political advisers, and her public relations firm P&P Communications, which put Gillum on the payroll after he left his job with the People for the American Way Foundation ahead of his statewide run.

Gillum has said repeatedly that prosecutors have told him he is not a target of the investigation.

Gillum settles ethics case over accepting gifts

About a month earlier, Gillum agreed to pay a $5,000 fine over his out-of-town trips with family, lobbyist friends and others, including undercover FBI agents involved in the Maddox probe. During a 2016 trip to New York City, Gillum saw “Hamilton” and went on a boat ride to the Statue of Liberty with a group that included undercover agents posing as out-of-town businessmen.

Gillum declared "vindication" despite admitting in the agreement he violated ethics statutes.

Illegal gifts and undercover agents: High drama, twists and turns possible as Andrew Gillum's ethics hearing begins

'I got you': Texts, emails detail how Adam Corey, FBI arranged trips for Andrew Gillum

How it began: Gillum meeting with FBI undercover agents took shape during Costa Rica trip with lobbyists

Gillum was found in a Miami Beach hotel with an overdose victim

On March 13, 2020, police were called to a Miami Beach hotel room and found Gillum, who’d passed out on the bathroom floor, too inebriated to speak. A male escort, Travis Dyson, had apparently overdosed. A third man in the room had called 911.

No charges were ever filed, despite the fact that baggies of suspected methamphetamine were found in the room. But the scandal put at least a temporary end to Gillum’s political ambitions. Hours after he left the hotel, photos leaked of Gillum naked and passed out next to a pool of vomit.

Gillum almost immediately went into rehab, emerging several months later and admitting to an alcohol problem made worse by his narrow defeat to DeSantis for governor. The married father of three also revealed he is bisexual.

"I had totally underestimated what losing the race for governor had had on my life and on the way those impacts started to show up in every aspect of my life," he said.

Worst night of his life: Andrew Gillum breaks silence about that night in a South Beach hotel in interview with Tamron Hall

'The journey I am on': Andrew Gillum reemerges after self-imposed exile from public life

More: Miami Beach Police Department releases photos, body cam video in Andrew Gillum incident

What happened: Three things to know about Andrew Gillum's night at a hotel in March and the photos that followed

Gillum returned to politics with podcast

In October 2020, Gillum launched "Real Talk with Andrew Gillum," a weekly podcast from Quake Media about "politics, news, culture, mental health and more."

The podcast no longer appears on the Quake Media website.

Interviews with Gillum:

• Ex-Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum talks marriage, hotel scandal in GQ 'Modern Lovers' issue

• Andrew Gillum breaks silence about that night in a South Beach hotel in interview with Tamron Hall

What was Andrew Gillum indicted for?

The 21-count indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2019, Gillum and Lettman-Hicks conspired to commit wire fraud by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals "through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose," the government said.

It also says Lettman-Hicks and Gillum used third-parties to move some of the money to a company Lettman-Hicks owned, which then "fraudulently provided the funds, disguised as payroll payments, to Gillum for his personal use." Gillum is also charged with making false statements to FBI agents.

Andrew Gillum: Read the indictment, federal case against the former mayor, governor candidate

Gillum denied any wrongdoing in a statement sent through his campaign.

"I have spent the last 20 years of my life in public service and continue to fight for the people," Gillum said in a prepared statement. "Every campaign I've run has been done with integrity. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political."

What is the punishment for these charges against Andrew Gillum?

The maximum prison time is 5 years for making false statements, 20 years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and 20 years for wire fraud.

Gillum and Lettman-Hicks have pleaded not guilty.

Contributors: James Call, Jeffrey Schweers, Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat

C. A. Bridges is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network, working with multiple newsrooms across Florida. Local journalists work hard to keep you informed about the things you care about, and you can support them by subscribing to your local news organization. Read more articles by Chris here and follow him on Twitter at @cabridges

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Andrew Gillum: What to know about the former candidate for Florida governor