When asked tough questions by Tallahassee Reports, history shows Mayor Andrew Gillum not only avoids answers, but also resorts to false attacks and threats of legal action.
For example, when TR was the first to report about his affiliation with the People for American Way, Gillum sent an email threatening legal action.
When TR was the first to report about an undisclosed trip to Pittsburgh, Gillum refused to talk to TR and again threatened legal action through the city attorney.
In 2014, Gillum said TR editor Steve Stewart showed up at city hall threatening city manager Anita Favors. After the charge was proven false, Gillum retracted his comments.
The latest example of Gillum’s threatening behavior happened this past week, when Gillum accused Mr. Stewart of an assault in a public meeting.
The charge levied by Gillum, is based on a harmless bumping incident that lasted for two seconds.
No charges have been filed by either party.
Gillum’s actions are designed to intimidate a free press and to avoid answering probing questions.
Specifically, he does not want to answer questions about his reported negotiations with the Tallahassee Democrat that resulted in a favorable news story.
Gillum’s tactics should be questioned by all who favor an unbiased media, free of threats from those exercising political power.
Tallahassee Reports will not be bullied by threats from public officials. We will also defend ourselves from slanderous attacks designed to silence questions that need to be answered.
No journalist should have to fear false attacks on their reputations when attempting to hold powerful officials accountable.
Mayor Gillum’s Intimidation Tactics Must be Addressed added by Publisher on
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The difference between Gillum and President Trump is that the President is telling the truth and Gillum is an unadulterated liar. The press loved Mr Trump when he was a private citizen, but once he declared himself a Republican they haven’t had one nice word to say about him, and often make up derogatory stories out of whole cloth. The MSM is nothing more than a liberal garbage industry. #MAGA #TRUMP2020
Hmmmm…just wondering – had the reporter been an ethnic minority, similar in outward appearance to Mayor Gillum and asking the exact same questions Steve inquired of our elected public official in the exact same way that Steve asked them, would the Mayor have been such a bully and reacted to and threatened that ethnic minority reporter in the same hateful threatening discriminatory manner Steve was attacked?
Please please don’t tell us the Mayor is raciest…Hmmmm… that would be so unprofessional…do we really want such an obvious character flaw from someone running for Governor?
Then it’s our job to spread the word about his lack of character to everyone you know in Florida!
The bad news for Gillum is that he has no name recognition.
The good news for Gillum is that his lack of character is also an unknown.
Heaven help us if we don’t get the word out to the rest of Florida not to elect this man as our Governor!
When he is being interviewed by TR, there needs to be a camera on mayor gilligan every second of the interview.
The reporter should have legal grounds to file a civil rights action in a court of law for violation of his first amendment rights by the brutish bully mayor. Yes the reporter should!!! Lord knows it’s true and backed up with all the evidence the reporter would need to prevail.
If only the 2 parties had their jobs reversed the ACLU would be running in to save “just doing his job reporter” Andy from “discriminatory jack booted mayor” Steve.
As it is with our liberal Leon County Judges and no interest from the ACLU our real reporter Steve will not be able to prevail in court.
On the bright side though there is absolutely no reason for real reporter Steve to spend a dime to file even a symbolic action against Mayor Andy. Andy’s run at the Governor’s mansion is self imploding anyway.
The Complete and Total City of Tallahassee employees live under this same environment – DAILEY. It is management by intimidation – not via any type of ‘leadership’.
Numerous specific actions can be cited; many illegal.
Why do you think the Police Department’s recent review (via TD) issued such a scathing report? This mis-management by threats, intimidation, bullying, etc. IS the COT way. It is supported and backed by Legal (Jackson), Human Resources (Blair), Assistant City Managers (Barber), Ethics Department (Keefe), TPD (DeLeo), Utilities (Tadros), etc. The $100K + club (salaries) are the Henchmen/henchwomen; paid well for their ‘servitude’.
Steve – call Gillum on this (file suit); the FBI will take further notes. You’ll prevail on short order.
He’s behaving like the president. Intimidating the press. Calling out untruths against his opponents. Threatening legal action to deter probing reporters, etc. Only thing Gillum needs now is a couple of paid off porn stars and he’ll be primed for DC. LOL. I agree wholeheartedly that Gillum should be accountable to citizens. He should answer the tough questions and tell the whole truth. He should not use his position for favors or unearned benefits. He deserves to be exposed and prosecuted if this is happening. Now, we all know the president does these things regularly, but he is shielded by his base. Do you not expect Gillum’s base to shield him in the same way? Wrong is wrong. If it’s no good for low level Gillum, it’s no good for the leader of the free world. On the flip side, if you find a way to give your president a pass, then spare me with this. Period.
The article is about Gillium and his unethical behavior. Our President calls out the MSM for being liars and advocates for the DEM Party. #FakeNews #MAGA
Equating Gillum’s plainly false accusations and corrupt dealings with President Trump is a ridiculous and unsupportable stretch, unless you’re a diehard lock-step liberal. NO evidence of any Trump-Russian collusion (or anything else) has been been found by Mueller’s rabid little cabal of Democrat-donor lawyers – if so, Mueller would have loudly announced it long ago. And even talking about “porn stars” is a complete non-issue, since that was ten years before Trump was president.
Actually, if you want to mention porn-addled Presidents, you have to discuss Bill Clinton.
The great thing about all this is that all of Trump’s FBI-DOJ accusers are now included in criminal referrals to the DOJ Attorney General. So instead of Trump being dragged into court, it will most likely be them – including Hillary. And Mueller is already being connected to deliberate ignoring of the Russian Uranium One deal, so he’ll probably wind up in a court at some point also. Good all around.
Meanwhile, Gillum has clear evidence of his corrupt dealings and even photos of him with FBI undercover agents (conveniently cropped out by the local rag after Gillum pressure), and Gillum threatens solid journalistic reporters with false accusations and legal action when they report any truth about him or ask any inconvenient questions. If Gillum had nothing to hide or wrong to expose, he wouldn’t be so hostile to any reporting since he’d want the truth to be told.
Wrong….the president has good reason to call out the “fake” news so-call press. Main stream journalism is dead
The difference between Gillum and President Trump is that the President is telling the truth and Gillum is an unadulterated liar. The press loved Mr Trump when he was a private citizen, but once he declared himself a Republican they haven’t had one nice word to say about him, and often make up derogatory stories out of whole cloth. The MSM is nothing more than a liberal garbage industry.
All liberals lie, cheat and steal.
990 tax returns show that Gillum “earned” over $1,000,000 at PFAW and PFAW Foundation.
He can run but he can’t hide!
Dang Gillum is such a low life bully.
That’s a fact known to all the staffers at COT. Pubilicy they must show their fake loyalty or suffer “The Wrath of Gillum”.
Thank you for being the man you are Steve.
Gillum reminds me of Gollum from “The Hobbit” after Gollum became corrupted from the power of the ring.
I support Steve Stewart and Tallahassee Reports as a valid news reporting journal.
I demand that Andrew Gillum step down and resign if he is not willing to speak honestly and openly with this news organization.