TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two central players in the federal corruption investigation into Tallahassee City Hall pled guilty to corruption charges Tuesday. 

Suspended City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his longtime aide, Paige Carter-Smith, could each face 45 years in prison, and the U.S. attorney prosecuting the case says the probe into city dealings during the mayorship of Andrew Gillum - Florida's 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee - could continue.

Here's 5 questions answered about how this investigation got this far and possible implications for connected figures, including Gillum, going forward:

1. What did the duo admit to doing?

In their guilty pleas, Maddox and Carter-Smith admitted to trading Maddox's influence on the city commission for cash from a ridesharing company seeking favorable regulatory treatment. The company hired Carter-Smith's firm, Governance, Inc., to consult on its behalf, paying it tens of thousands of dollars to do so.

During the same period, the firm transferred tens of thousands of dollars to Maddox.

2. How was the scheme uncovered?

A wide-ranging FBI probe into Tallahassee City Hall unearthed the pay-to-play scheme. It is the same investigation that involved undercover agents posing as businessmen seeking development deals with then-Mayor Andrew Gillum and his associates.

3. Was Gillum implicated in the Maddox/Carter-Smith case?

No. Unlike Maddox and Carter-Smith, Gillum wasn't a subject of the federal indictment that led to the corruption charges. However, he has admitted to violating state ethics laws during his term as mayor, paying a $5,000 fine to settle the matter.

4. Do Tuesday's guilty pleas signify the end of the probe?

Not necessarily. During a press conference Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe told reporters he hopes Maddox and Carter-Smith will "cooperate by providing truthful information in this case and about any potentially criminal conduct beyond the scope of this particular case."

That could indicate prosecutors may be willing to recommend reduced sentences for the pair if they provide valuable information about other questionable dealings inside city hall.

5. What do the U.S. attorney's comments mean for Gillum?

Gillum's gubernatorial hopes were dashed in some measure because of the open-ended nature of the FBI probe. While he repeatedly told his audiences that agents had assured him he wasn't a target of the investigation, federal authorities declined to say as much publicly, which fueled doubt among undecided voters.

Keefe's comments Tuesday don't offer much closure, either, meaning questions surrounding Gillum's term as mayor will continue to linger. With some of his supporters urging him to consider another run for governor in 2022, there could be significant political implications at stake.