Former Florida Senate candidate Aaron Hawkins of Stuart was arrested Tuesday, Nov. 19 and charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
The substances were identified as marijuana and psilocybin, a mind-altering drug.
The arrest came just two weeks after Hawkins, a Democrat, lost to Republican incumbent State Sen. Gayle Harrell in the race for the District 31 seat.
The district encompasses Martin County, parts of southern St. Lucie County and most of northern and western Palm Beach County, all the way to Lake Okeechobee. Locally, that area includes Royal Palm Beach, The Acreage, Loxahatchee, Loxahatchee Groves, Westlake, Arden and western Palm Beach Gardens.
Hawkins was booked into the Martin County Jail on Nov. 19 on a $14,000 bond, according to court records. Hawkins, 26, could not be reached for comment.
Deb Groendal, who was listed on Hawkins’ now defunct web site as his campaign manager, said Tuesday, “I don’t know anything.”
Asked if she expected Hawkins to be exonerated, Groendal, a St. Lucie County resident, replied, “I’m not going to comment. I’ll call you if I have any positive news.”
The alleged incidents of illegal sales occurred Dec. 28, 2023, and Jan. 29, 2024, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said that the timing of the arrest had nothing to do with the election. Instead, Snyder said, it was to protect the identity of a confidential informant and other investigations with which the “C.I.” was involved.
On Hawkins’ web site, the candidate was described as a “Stuart native, FSU [Florida State University] alum, entrepreneur, data professional and public servant.”
Harrell easily defeated Hawkins, 61.5 percent to 38.5 percent.
