Racist robocalls mock Andrew Gillum; Calls said to be paid for by a white supremacist podcast

Racist phone calls mocking Florida's black Democratic gubernatorial nominee appear to be from a white supremacist podcast that has also taken credit for inflammatory robocalls in Iowa and California.

In the recorded calls, someone falsely identifying himself as Andrew Gillum speaks in a racist, old-time minstrel dialect while asking voters for their support. The calls, which according to the Gillum campaign started Friday, are said to be paid for by The Road to Power — an Idaho-based video podcast.

“This is reprehensible — and could only have come from someone with intentions to fuel hatred and seek publicity,” Gillum campaign spokesman Geoff Burgan said in a statement. Burgan said it's unclear how widespread the calls have been, but that he's only heard reports of them in Tallahassee, where Gillum is mayor.

Gillum's Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, is not affiliated with the podcast behind the calls. His campaign spokesman, Stephen Lawson, called them “absolutely appalling and disgusting.”

Read more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-reg-ap-racist-robocalls-against-andrew-gillum-20180902-story.html