Sansom: 'I saw no legal or ethical problem'

In an op-ed today in the Northwest Florida Daily News, House Speaker Ray Sansom continues his defense of taking a six-figure college job and the tens of millions he secured for the school, saying "I saw no legal or ethical problem with working at the college during my last two years in the Legislature."

He writes that, "I fully respect any person's right to hold an opinion on my decision to work at the college, but fairness demands that such opinions be informed by the facts."

Sansom's column, however, does not touch on several facts that have emerged in recent weeks after he took the $110,000 a year job at Northwest Florida State College.

"It's true that earlier this year I supported the college's successful efforts to obtain accelerated funding for construction projects. The money for those projects came from a fund that, by law, can be used only for school construction funding. In other words, there was no choice to be made between the college's projects and, for example, K-12 classrooms, law enforcement or health care for the poor."

Sansom uses the word "accelerated" but fails to explain that the Department of Education had recommended $1-million for the project and that he increased it to $25.5-million -- the single largest award for a college in 2008.

He also fails to note that $7.5-million of the $25.5-million was not included in the DOE recommendations -- a fact illustrated in this memo obtained by the Times/Herald.

The $7.5 million is going to build a "leadership institute" at the college.

Sansom does not say that he inserted $750,000 in start-up money for the leadership institute, a maneuver that irritated then-Speaker Marco Rubio because he was not aware it had been done until too late. Sansom was the budget chairman for the 2007 and 2008 sessions -- at which time the small college in Niceville got about $35-million in new or accelerated funding.

What's more, Sansom does not address the $6-million he inserted into the budget in 2007 for a project at Destin Airport that is remarkably similar to a $6-million airport hangar once sought by his friend Jay Odom.

That, too, was not on the DOE list for public education capital outlay funding, state officials have confirmed for the Times/Herald.

"This project was not on any list available to the Division of Community Colleges prior to the conference bill," Kelsey Lehtomaa, deputy press secretary, wrote in response to a reporter's question in December. "The number 07-WF was assigned subsequent to the legislative session. The division has no record that indicates who requested the money."

In today's op-ed Sansom writes: "The state's budget was developed during a lengthy, open and deliberative process, and it became law only after it was approved by majorities of both houses of the Legislature and by a governor with line-item veto authority."

By advocating that the college be allocated a portion of the school construction money that is spent throughout the state, I was doing my best to help an institution that is vital to providing educational opportunity and spurring economic development in our region. That's exactly the type of work the voters sent me to Tallahassee to do.

My wife and I grew up here and we've raised our daughters here. We love our community. For two decades, I've fought hard for my constituents, among other things helping to see that our region gets its fair share of education dollars and transportation funding. To ensure that Northwest Florida has a seat at the table when key decisions are made, I've put in the extra work necessary to rise to a position of leadership in the Legislature.

What is most important, though, is that I've never forgotten the trust placed in me by the voters and by my colleagues. And I've always conducted myself with honor and integrity.

I can only pray that, when passions cool, the truth about my record and about the way I've lived my life will count for more than the cynicism and innuendo that have had such disproportionate influence in recent weeks."

Comments

[razor]

Is it going to require an indictment to get rid of this crook? Does anyone know a better way?