While mayor of Tallahassee and a Florida gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum was the deciding vote as a member of the Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to award $281,760 to the Frenchtown Redevelopment Partners, LLC, a company that included Harold Knowles and Keith Bowers as “Officers/Directors” in filings with the state of Florida.
Five months before the vote, the Northwest Florida Black Business Investment Corporation (BBIC) approved a $320,000 loan to Sharon Lettman-Hicks. The BBIC listed Knowles and Bowers as “Managers” (MGR) on filings with the state of Florida.
Lettman-Hicks is the owner of P&P Communications which employed Gillum in 2017. Records show he was paid $71,680 in 2017.
Also, campaign records show Gillum’s gubernatorial campaign paid P&P Communications approximately $35,000 in rent from March 2017 to July 2018.
Last month, the Tampa Bay Times reported that a federal subpoena was issued which, in part, addressed issues related to Sharon Lettman-Hicks, P&P Communications, and Andrew Gillum’s campaign for governor.
Gillum’s relationship with Lettman-Hicks and P&P Communications was the subject of several media reports during Gillum’s campaign for Florida governor.
It was reported that the Gillum campaign refused to answer questions about the nature of his employment with P&P Communications, a public relations firm with no website or social media presence.
Did Andrew Gillum know about the loan to Lettman-Hicks before the CRA vote? Did Lettman-Hicks use the loan money for P&P communications?
Andrew Gillum will not answer questions from Tallahassee Reports. Efforts to reach Lettman-Hicks were unsuccessful.
The Time Line
On February 16, 2018 Leon County records show that a loan for $319,132.40 was made to Sharon Lettman-Hicks from the Northwest Florida Black Business Investment Corporation (BBIC).
Collateral for the loan was the property located at 1550 Melvin Street in Tallahassee, Florida. This is also the listed address for P&P Communications and was the address of Gillum’s campaign headquarters for his gubernatorial campaign.
Documents filed with the state of Florida on February 26, 2018 show that Harold Knowles and Keith Bowers were listed as officers/directors of the Northwest Florida BBIC.
Less than five months later, on July 9, 2018 the Tallahassee CRA voted to award $281,660 to the Frenchtown Redevelopment Partners, LLC for development costs associated with a proposed $78 million project on CRA owned property.
The vote was 3-2, with Gillum voting yes.
CRA member Gil Ziffer voted no and stated his no vote was due to the fact the developer had no investment in the project.
Records with the state of Florida show that Harold Knowles and Kieth Bowers were “Managers” of the Frenchtown Redevelopment Partners in 2018 and a the time of the vote.
Approximately two months after the CRA vote, on September 26, 2018, an amendment to the corporate records – filed by Frenchtown Redevlopment Partners, LLC, – removed Knowles and Bowers as “Managers” of group.
Gillum CRA Vote Tied to $320,000 Loan to Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Gillum Employer added by Steve Stewart on
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It’s super obvious that all of u ppl are just racist losers with nothing better to do with your sorry lives. No one even knows what they’re talking about except for the person that said that they don’t know what anyone is talking about… that’s because the article and the comments are ignorant af. Why would anyone disclose something on their campaign report that was illegal?? And if it was illegal, then why isn’t he in jail?? Oh! That’s because u ppl are idiots and he didn’t do anything wrong!!! GET A LIFE REDNECKS!!!
A “respectable” Mullet wouldn’t be caught in one—The Tallahassee Democrat
It would not surprise me if the moderate Democrats who are repulsed by the party of Pelosi will – in droves – re-register as a Republican. The red Wave is coming!
Shame that the Democrat party has done away with “Conservative Democrats”.
The notions of being a National Security Conservative (including maintaining meaningful national and state borders), a Financial Conservative, your personal life, well, private, and, yet be Humanist, have been soundly been driven from the Democrat Party.
What hope of having any voice towards these goals does a person have in the “Party of Pelosi and Cortez”?
Forgive me for longing for days past when we enjoyed the leadership of Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham.
I’m dense. I don’t get it at all. What did he do wrong? Did he give a contract to his former employer? Or a loan? And did he rent a building from his former employer? And she used the same address for one of her other businesses? Was there other better options to give the contract to that were passed over because of some kind of hook-up? I just don’t see a problem…I must be missing something. If Gillum was on the CRA board and had a vote…why is his vote a problem? Was he not supposed to make a choice or was he forbidden to vote when he had prior relationship with one of the options? Somebody please break it down for my simpleton self.
It appears money went into his pocket for his own personal benefit that he voted on.
And it is taxpayer money so The Joke is on You!
I didn’t read anything that would suggest “money went into his pocket for his own personal benefit”. Where did the article mention that so I can re-read it? I recognize most people on this site HATE the guy, but I expect some detailed facts to support the hate. Otherwise, I have no choice except to chalk it up to the fact that his skin tone combined with his political successes make you all uncomfortable. No one wants to pull the race card…but….in simple terms, what the heck is this article complaining about?
Lock him up!
Democrat 2020 Platform & Goals:
-Open Borders.
-Sanctuary Cities.
-Elimination of ICE
-Disarming Americans.
-Infanticide.
-Voting rights for illegal aliens.
-Pack the courts with radical liberal judges (Like the 9th circuit)
-Increase refugee’s from the third world.
-Illegal aliens allowed to hold public office.
-Socialism.
-Free Abortions for all (Taxpayer funded)
-The green new deal.
-End of Electoral College.
-Tax increase.
-Free Medicare care for all including non citizens (taxpayer funded)
-Raise Minimum Wage
-Have adolescents vote
-!00% free college for all, including non citizens. (tax payer funded)
-Reparations for every race “harmed” by the white man.
-Convicts, Terrorists voting.
-Susie & Bobby using the same restrooms.
-Late term abortions.
-Pay check for every person in the US even if they choose not to work.
*Sources: Straight from the Democrat’s mouths. View speeches on youtube.
Harold Knowles, Gillum, Lettman-Hicks, Chuck Hobbs and on and on. I have said all along the TD has no interest in pursuing corruption right under their nose even when it’s rubbed in it. I frankly thought Gillum too dumb to try a move even as lame as this one. When you steal with impunity, you never think you will get caught.
Gabordi poo-pooed the investigation of Famous Jameis. And the NYT came in and did a huge Sunday 1A lead piece (with graphics) on it that blasted TPD for dropping the ball.
It was a Pulitzer Prize runner-up, right under Gabordi’s ground zero coverage area – but he was too busy taking walks in the park with Maddox.
A competent editor would NEVER let a reporter parachute in to his/her backyard and steal an award-winning piece like that.
Don’t you all just love how the Crimes of the Democrats on both the Local AND Federal levels are coming back to bite them in the ass? I sure do.
Well I for one just hope this bad news about Gillum does not further agitate the delicate John Morgan into another Twitter hissy fit.
Lord knows the round man has suffered enough at the hands of this awful man-thug Gillum.
Maybe the delicate John Morgan should consider calling #LAW.
That’s all.
Sir Snidley; Your insights, ability to directly dig under the issue and then explode it into a hilariously true conundrum is nothing less then Pulitzer Material. I await the coffee table edition.
All I know is he has run the Tallahassee Leon Federal Credit Union into the ground.
The rank-and-file employees are wonderful and very competent.
One time a withdrawal was taken out of my account for a donation to a heart fund that I did not make. They checked into it and it was an error and was supposed to be taken out of someone else’s account, supposedly? Was someone trying to make a donation in their name using my account thinking I would not notice it?
Accounts were recently breached and they were breached four times in four days before they noticed it.
Went in to have a check cut out of a special account and they had to do it twice because the check printing machine was not working correctly.
Went in to get change and they didn’t have any change so I went to Publix and got change.
Gave the Tallahassee Democrat Bob Gabordi information regarding Ben Pingree and his home in Wakulla County for sale at the same time I believe the person that bought his home was given a $275,000 IT contract with Leon County and his house was underwater for that same amount?
Ben Pingree sits on the board of the Tallahassee Leon Federal Credit Union and allowed the CEO to spend Credit Union funds to make a country music video.
He sold his house in Wakulla County because Wakulla County threw him out as County Manager?
It is rumored that Mr Pingree is related to Rick Fernandez?
Somebody check out Ben Pingree. Please, before he starts.
I’ve been asking that for years.
Before he starts what?
The Tallahassee Democrat missed a big opportunity several years ago regarding this.
You mean who he is related to?
He will probably run for office.
I heard him in a public meeting say that he had planned all his life to be a ‘planner’. 10 minutes later he said he ‘was a director at a zoo, what do I know?’
It truly warms my heart to see this massive democrat corruption coming to the surface and making everyone aware. THIS is exactly what’s happening all over the country and is exactly what Obama did on a Federal level. It’s time to wake up folks, and see that your beloved politicians (both parties) do not have your interests at heart…only theirs. The democrats seem to more deeply tied to this corruption because they have been enabled by leftist foundations (such as Soros) and surrounded by so many like-minded corrupt people out to enrich themselves via this group effort.
Former Iranian mayor admits killing second wife, gets tea and sympathy at police station:
https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-exmayor-killing/29970808.html
All liberals lie, cheat and steal.
I just checked the Melvin Street property value. Wow $48,000 . If this was Gillum’s campaign address and he paid 38k for rent something is amiss
That is the vacant lot next to the commercial piece.
Check again, Herb.
I see it’s market value of almost $250K.
About 3700 square feet.
I heard about the fence story more than a decade ago, and told one of the Fake Newsocrat editors and a reporter about it.
They weren’t the least bit interested.
Fake Newsocrat…Love it!!!
I think they are down to their last few subscribers now who are over 85 and still take it to the bathroom In the AM after coffee to take a squeeze.
It can still adequately line the bird cage.
Might be wrong, but isn’t Harold Knowles the guy who got the bid for Airport Fencing from Mayor Marks with no fencing experience?
That is correct. He (Knowles) hastily created a company called Pyramid Construction (ironic), he and JM also had as a client a company called Republic Parking who also had the contract for parking at the Kleman Plaza and the Tallahassee airport. Weird, huh?
That was talked about this morning on 100.7 FM and it was said that Knowles had NEVER built a Fence BEFORE or AFTER building the Airport Fence.
Go to the Leon County Property Appraiser Web Site.
Parcel ID: 4101540000030
Can someone explain this to me? The FAMU credit union owned the Melvin Street property. It was transferred somehow to Hicks (Pacheco) then Hicks(Pacheco) transferred it to herself as grantor and grantee?
http://cvweb.clerk.leon.fl.us/public/clerk_services/official_records/download_document.asp?book=5034&page=261
Very, very interesting!!
I am not a lawyer. Just wondering. I am sure there is an explanation.
Yes Mr. Thomas,
Glad to do it.
It’s all an intricate part of “The Hookup” process which I explained as best I could in a comment above.
It may not be what most local voters want to believe.
But it’s the reason behind the actions which got us to this article and this discussion today.
Indictment$ (as in more than one) forthcoming. And a whole lot more to this story…; plus perjury.
Amateur SHYSTERS!!! Harold you escaped persecution by the skin of your teeth in Georgia. Let’s see your Houdini’s move in Florida! Somebody is sing very loud and Crystal clear. 3 card monte game has been revealed. CRA’s slush LUCRE and political vote goes hand in hand like rum and coke. Abuse, abuse and abuse! Get em FBI and IRS! Start with Harold Knowles, Christopher Chestnut, then the squeaky bird Ms. Freeman aka Letterman-Hicks. Infamous weak links on Gullible chain. No loyalty amongst thieves! Oh, expected the proverbial ‘race card’ to be played! Popcorn ready and indictments surely in pipeline. What a bunch of losers!
My theory on Harold is that he exchanged dirt with The FBI which got the Tallahassee investigation started.
In the “exchange process” The FBI agreed to put on a good enough show in the Middle Georgia Fed. Court to make it appear that Harold escaped by the skin on his teeth to his cohorts in crime here in Tallahassee [ see Snidely’s explanation of “The Hookup” above ].
I do not think Harold’s sweet deal with The FBI will be applicable to any criminal behavior AKA “The Hookup” which Harold engaged in after the Middle Georgia Federal trial.
The type of behaviour by Gillum and his associates who’s nanes are mentioned in the article is something pale skinned supporters/voters have no concept of.
Let Snidely enlighten you “D” voters of the Caucasian persuasion.
It’s referred to as “The Hookup”.
The hookup concept breaks down like this:
It’ OK to steal by whatever means necessary to help out a fellow member of your same minority race and/or the “D” political party.
This criminal behavior is “justified” by historical references to slavery, getting back at “The Man, or just as simple as giving the hookup (because “the hookup” has been around so long it in itself is often the reason for criminal behavior).
Anyway its refreshing to see “The Hookup” getting some attention by The FBI and even more refreshing to see it being covered by local press.
Thank you for another article Steve!!!
Ah Snidely, the proverbial hook up. Totally agree with you! These criminals are arrogant and believe in narcissistic entitlements. Bad boys, bad girls whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Play the “race card”? They are yours for the taking FBI, IRS and US Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Yes, the money – at taxpayers expense – goes to Lettman-Hicks, then recycled to Gillum.
Gillum has made a career out of sponging off the taxpayers dime through illicit means to enrich himself. This has to stop!
I see an orange jumpsuit in Gillum’s near future.
Will CNN be reporting this?
Lets see her “Protest” her way out of this.
So,
not only wonderboy Maddox but wonderkid Giilum both get caught with thier hands in the city’s cookie jar…no matter the race, they have the same face; “Old South Politics” alive and well
gillum has been snake oil slick poison ever since elected to the City Commission.
What was the source of Gillum’s $72K P&P salary and what did he do to earn it?
How do you operate an invisible PR boutique?
This is a classic money laundering scheme to shore up Gillum’s financial struggles due to lost PFAW salary.
Nothing on TR about the embattled TPD chief throwing in the towel?