TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Commission on Ethics has found probable cause that former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum violated state ethics laws, his attorney Barry Richard confirmed.

• State ethics board: Probable cause that Gillum violated ethics laws
• Ethics investigation separate from FBI investigation into city government
• Gillum's attorney says he intends to contest the charges

The commission met Friday to review an ethics complaint filed against Gillum, accusing him of accepting gifts from lobbyists during out-of-town trips while he was mayor.

Gillum, who was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2018, did not attend the hearing.

Richard said his client followed the law and would fight the ethics charges before a judge. He called the evidence underpinning the charges highly questionable.

Throughout the 2018 campaign, Gillum was dogged by allegations he leveraged his official position to obtain gifts, including a ticket to the Broadway musical Hamilton and a room in a Costa Rican villa, from lobbyists and vendors with business before City Hall.

During a trip to New York -- when Gillum went to see Hamilton -- an undercover FBI agent posed as a developer pitching a project to be funded with local tax dollars.

Gillum claimed the 'Hamilton' ticket was part of an even trade -- an assertion that was found to be false shortly before Election Day.

"I understood that to have solved whatever the issue was with regards to the expenses associated with it," Gillum said during an October gubernatorial debate. "But I take responsibility for not having asked more questions."

The commission's finding is based on the premise that Gillum either knew or should have known that he had improperly accepted gifts. He has sought to prove that he reimbursed the lobbyists for the Costa Rica trip, producing bank statements showing withdrawals from his personal account.

Gillum's critics argue the statements don't prove anything because they fail to detail a transfer of cash from one party to another.

If the commission's probable cause finding is upheld, Gillum could face a steep fine. In the wake of his narrow loss to Gov. Ron DeSantis, he's been touring the country on behalf of progressive causes and notably hasn't rejected calls from some of his supporters to launch a 2020 presidential bid.

The ethics investigation is separate from an ongoing FBI investigation.