The brother-in-law of former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Jimmie Gardner, has been apprehended on charges of human trafficking and inappropriate contact with a minor. Gardner is married to U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, appointed by former President Obama and reportedly considered for the Supreme Court by President Joe Biden. The arrest occurred this week, according to the Office of the State Attorney of Florida, Susan S. Lopez.
“Jimmie Gardner, a youth motivational speaker and brother-in-law of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, is facing serious charges of human trafficking and is currently in jail in Hillsborough County with no bond. Gardner is scheduled to face a judge in first appearance court in Tampa tomorrow,” the office said.
“Tampa Police arrested Gardner this morning after his 16-year-old victim called police to report Gardner committed sex acts on her at the Renaissance Hotel at International Plaza. His victim says Gardner paid her money and later became angry and choked her when she refused to have sex. His booking charges include human trafficking, lewd and lascivious touching of certain minors, and battery,” the office said.
“Gardner, who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1984, was wrongly convicted in the 1987 sexual assault of two women in West Virginia. He was exonerated in 2016 and released from prison 27 years after his wrongful conviction. Two years later, he married Georgia Federal Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner. He currently lives in Georgia and works as a motivational speaker and emotional intelligence trainer for students and people who were formerly incarcerated,” it said.
“Everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Our attorneys will prosecute this case as we would any other offender who is alleged to have committed these crimes. We take these charges very seriously,” the State Attorney said.
A statement from the Tampa Police Department revealed that Gardner encountered the teenager at 1:43 a.m. and invited her to his room at the Renaissance Hotel at International Plaza, as reported by WFLA. Although the teenager accepted the invitation, upon reaching his room, he proposed compensation in exchange for sexual services.
“The victim initially agreed but later told Gardner that she no longer wanted to engage and he became angry,” it said. “Gardner advised the victim that she needed to leave his hotel room. The two got involved in a verbal altercation that escalated to a physical dispute after Gardner placed his hands around the victim’s neck, impeding her breathing. After the dispute, Gardner left the hotel room, and the victim called 911.
In March, reports emerged that the Georgia Secretary of State’s office initiated an inquiry into a charity associated with Stacey Abrams, a two-time unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial candidate. The Washington Free Beacon initially exposed allegations of financial improprieties, prompting election officials in Georgia to conduct a subsequent investigation.
“Georgia’s secretary of state has opened an investigation into ‘financial irregularities’ surrounding the New Georgia Project, a voting-rights charity founded by Stacey Abrams, individuals familiar with the matter,” told the outlet, according to the Monday report.
The New Georgia Project is under investigation for alleged financial mismanagement involving former executives, as reported by the Free Beacon. Recent tax filings from the organization have prompted legal and accounting questions, leading authorities to issue subpoenas to related parties.
Founded by Stacey Abrams in 2013, the New Georgia Project grew into one of the country’s prominent voter registration groups. Combined, the New Georgia Project and its affiliated New Georgia Project Action Fund have raised $54.7 million since 2020.
The Free Beacon revealed discrepancies in the New Georgia Project’s financial disclosures, including a $500,000 payment for consulting services to a charity partially overseen by the brother of Nsé Ufot, the former CEO of the New Georgia Project, who was terminated for undisclosed reasons.
