Sansom faces House inquiry

By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital Bureau Political Editor

A somber panel of five House members will begin an unprecedented political process this week, investigating former House Speaker and current member Rep. Ray Sansom.

"I don't think any of us wants to be doing what we have to do," said Rep. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, "but we're in a position that we have to do it."

The Select Committee on Standards of Official Conduct scheduled an organizational session for Tuesday morning to decide how it will handle a citizen's complaint against Sansom, a Destin Republican who resigned the speaker's office in January. He was later indicted on felony charges of perjury and official misconduct involving a $6 million budget item he arranged when he chaired the House budget committee, for an airport hangar complex mainly benefitting Panhandle developer Jay Odom.

Sansom has denied any wrongdoing and sought delay of the House proceedings until the legal case is resolved. That request will be high on the committee agenda, said Chairman Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, who declined to comment on the merits of the idea.

Attorney Steve Kahn, who investigated the complaint by Susan Smith of Odessa, found probable cause to proceed with three of her allegations — that public "faith and confidence in the integrity of the Florida House" was undermined by Sansom's acceptance of a $110,000 job at Northwest Florida State College, his involvement in state funding of the hangar project and arrangements for a private legislative briefing for college trustees.

Sansom resigned the college job amid the controversy then stepped down as speaker, but he remains a member of the House. Odom and former College President Bob Richburg were also indicted by a Leon County grand jury.

Galvano's select committee can recommend actions to the House, ranging from doing nothing to expulsion by a two-thirds vote. The constitution makes each chamber the sole judge of its members' seating.

"It's an extremely serious responsibility because he was elected just like I was," said Rep. Joe Gibbons, D-Pembroke Park, a member of the committee. "I'm not really sure (about postponement). He has fifth-amendment rights and if there's any way we'd influence any legal proceedings he has, by our undertaking, I wouldn't want to in any way prejudice that case."

Rep. Ari Abraham Porth, D-Coral Springs, a prosecutor in Broward County, declined comment on his committee assignment.

"We have to all put our feelings aside and deal with facts, and that's what we're going to do," said Rep. Faye Culp, R-Tampa. Culp, who has been in the House for 11 years over two split stints, said Sansom's effectiveness as a lawmaker is unimpeached by his legal cloud.

"I think he can serve well. We all have things that come up, and many of us have other jobs or concerns," she said.

Glorioso, a retired Air Force colonel, said he had dealt with administrative justice cases in the ranks. He said Kahn's report "raises a lot of questions that I'd like to have answered by Ray," but he is not sure if the committee can pursue them without prejudicing his rights at trial.

"I'd like to hear his side of it. I learned a long time ago, as a commander, that there are two sides to every story," said Glorioso.