FBI undercover agent may have paid for Gillum fundraiser

TALLAHASSEE — An FBI undercover agent posing as a developer may have paid expenses related to a fundraising dinner for Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum, according to documents released Friday.

The information has surfaced amid an ongoing ethics investigation that has shadowed the Tallahassee mayor ever since he upset other Democrats in the August primary.

The newly released documents show that lobbyist Adam Corey — a former friend and ally of Gillum’s — sent an invoice for $4,386 to the agent, posing as a developer named Mike Miller. The bill was for an April 2016 reception on behalf of Gillum’s political committee that featured filet mignon, salmon mousse canapes, strawberry shortcake and an open bar.

The information was released by Christopher Kise, a lawyer representing Corey, in response to a request earlier this week from the state’s ethics commission. The commission is investigating whether Gillum accepted gifts from lobbyists after a Tallahassee businessman and persistent critic of Gillum filed a complaint. Florida law bars local elected officials from accepting anything worth more than $100. Kise was once Florida’s solicitor general and served on the transition team of Republican Gov. Rick Scott when Scott won in 2010.

Gillum has denied any wrongdoing in the case, which involves some of the same people whose names have surfaced in an ongoing FBI investigation into city government.

Corey helped arrange meetings with Gillum on behalf of the undercover agent, but his lawyer has declined to answer questions on whether Corey was working in tandem with the FBI.

It’s not clear if the undercover agent paid the invoice for the reception that Corey hosted at his house on behalf of Gillum’s committee. Campaign finance records filed by the committee do not appear to show any contributions or in-kind donations to cover the event expenses. It is against Florida law for political committee to accept donations without reporting them.

“Attached is the invoice for the dinner you graciously offered to sponsor,” Corey wrote to the agent. “As I mentioned, it was a bit higher than I expected because of some last minute attendees so let me know what you would like to cover and I’ll handle the rest. Again, I really appreciate this.”

Geoff Burgan, a spokesman for the campaign, criticized Kise as one of “Rick Scott’s former political hatchet men” who decided to “leak more documents about trips and events that have been reported on before.” But he insisted the undercover agent did not pay for the fundraising dinner.