Andrew Gillum says drug tests came back clean in meth case
Court documents obtained by TMZ say the former Florida gubernatorial nominee reported negative drug tests and has an Aug. 4 hearing set.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Andrew Gillum says he has tested negative for drugs as his Alabama drug case heads toward a preliminary hearing, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The former Florida gubernatorial nominee told the court he enrolled in a drug testing program, completed testing and received clean results, TMZ reported. The filing comes after Gillum was arrested earlier this month in a case involving alleged methamphetamine possession.
According to the court documents cited by TMZ, Gillum asked for a hearing to be scheduled after a decision is made on whether he must enter a court-approved drug treatment program. The court granted that request and set the hearing for Aug. 4.
What police say happened
TMZ previously reported that police in Alabama stopped Gillum after they said he was driving erratically. During the stop, officers allegedly found 3 grams of methamphetamine.
Police also alleged they found eight pre-rolled marijuana joints, four cut straws, three pipes and a bong, according to TMZ’s reporting on the arrest.
Gillum was later charged by prosecutors with felony possession of a controlled substance, TMZ reported. He also faces misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession for personal use and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Drug testing now part of the court fight
The new filing puts Gillum’s drug testing status before the court as officials weigh whether he should be placed in a drug treatment program approved by the court. TMZ reported that Gillum says the test results returned negative.
The Aug. 4 hearing will give the court a chance to address the next steps in the case, including the treatment-program issue raised in Gillum’s filing.
TMZ previously reported that prosecutors had indicated Gillum may have a chance to have the case transferred to Alabama drug court. The latest court filing does not resolve the criminal charges, and the allegations remain pending.
Gillum has not been reported by TMZ as entering a plea in the case. Beyond the statements attributed to him in the court documents, no additional comment from Gillum was reported.
Gillum rose to national prominence as Florida’s Democratic nominee for governor before losing the 2018 race. His current legal case is unfolding in Alabama, where police say the traffic stop led to the discovery of the alleged drugs and paraphernalia.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.