Andrew Gillum To Enter Rehab After Being Linked To Suspected Meth Overdose Incident

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The former Democratic nominee for Florida governor was in a hotel room with another man who appeared to be suffering from a drug overdose, according to a police report.

Andrew Gillum, the former Democratic nominee for Florida governor and current CNN commentator, was found in a Miami Beach hotel room where a man appeared to have overdosed on drugs early Friday morning.

In a report from the New York Times, police were called to the Mondrian South Beach where they found Gillum and two other men, Travis Dyson and Aldo Mejias. Mejias told the Times that he found Dyson and Gillum (who he did not know prior to the incident) when he arrived at the hotel room late Friday night. He said that Dyson opened the door and then proceeded to collapse on the bed. Mejias then performed chest compressions on Dyson.

The 30-year-old Dyson was being treated for an apparent heart attack by paramedics when officers arrived. According to police, Gillum was too intoxicated to answer questions and was vomiting in the bathroom. However, he was not arrested. Police also found three clear plastic baggies of suspected crystal meth on the bed and floor in the room.

Following the news, Gillum issued the following statement:

“I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends. While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines. I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement.”

The incident is not being investigated as a criminal matter.

Since the incident, Gillum has released another statement saying that he is going to rehab, and is stepping down from "all public facing roles" at this time, according to a report from Politico.

"This has been a wake-up call for me," Gillum said in the written statement, which he shared Sunday. "Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse. I witnessed my father suffer from alcoholism and I know the damaging effects it can have when untreated. I also know that alcoholism is often a symptom of deeper struggles."

Source: New York Times