The Florida Commission on Ethics has found probable cause former democratic candidate and Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum accepted gifts from an undercover FBI agent and lobbyists on trips to New York City and Costa Rica.

It’s the first official action supporting allegations Governor Ron DeSantis used against Gillum during his campaign.

In a closed hearing, the Commission heard allegations brought against Gillum. When the doors opened less than an hour later, Gillum’s attorney Berry Richard was blunt.

“They found probable cause,” said Richard.

The commission found probable cause on five of six allegations. They all center around two trips Gillum took to Costa Rica and New York City with lobbyists and an undercover FBI Agent, where Gillum allegedly accepted gifts from in the form of travel expenses, a boat ride, and the now infamous tickets to the hit Broadway show Hamilton.

Erwin Jackson filed the complaint more than a year ago.

“They clearly stated in there the facts are he didn’t pay for a dime,” said Jackson.

The only allegation the commission threw out was a complaint about the hotel Gillum shared with his brother in New York City because the cost didn’t break the $100 threshold for a gift to break state ethics codes.

While the commission agreed there was probable cause to suggest Gillum excepted the gifts, it noted there was not enough evidence to show Gillum promised or did anything in return.

Gillum’s attorney says he’s confident the former mayor will have his name cleared.

“Based upon my belief in the fact that the system of justice that we have almost always works out right,” said Richard.

Jackson says he hopes the findings act as a warning to all politicians.

“Hopefully, the word is getting out that we expect our elected officials to act ethically and honestly and represent the public instead of continuing to represent themselves,” said Jackson.

The next step in the case will be an evidentiary hearing before an administrative law judge. That’s likely at least a month away.

If found guilty, Gillum will likely face a fine of a few thousand dollars, but the damage to his reputation would likely haunt his future political career.