dealings with a Panhandle college, have damaged the "faith and
integrity" of the Florida House. That includes a $6 million airport
building that Kahn agrees was designed to benefit Sansom's friend Jay
Odom.
The conclusions, technically as a "statement of alleged violation" under House
Rule 16.2, set up a formal legislative review of
Sansom that could result in sanctions, including dismissal.
House
Speaker Larry Cretul announced a panel that will investigate: Reps.
Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, Chair; Faye Culp, R-Tampa; Joe Gibbons, D-Hallandale Beach; Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City; and Ari
Porth, D-Coral Springs.
"This is obviously something that's very painful for the House," said
Rep. J.C. Planas, R-Miami. "Ray Sansom is a friend and a colleague. We
have to just look at the facts. It stinks, but we have to look at what
was done."
Writes Kahn:
I find probable cause to believe that the conduct of Representative Ray
Sansom, described in the Findings of Fact in Specification I and
adopted here in full by reference, regarding his employment as
Vice-President of Planning and Development at Northwest Florida State
College beginning December 2008, particularly the method he used to
create, fund, and plan for construction of a facility to house the
Leadership Institute at that college, over which Institute he had and
would have had continuing supervisory control and oversight, could
reasonably have caused the complainant to lose faith and confidence in
the integrity of the Florida House of Representatives more particularly
as she alleged it did in her sworn complaint dated Jan. 6, 2009.
SPECIFICATION
II: I find probable cause to believe that the conduct of Representative
Ray Sansom, described in the Findings of Fact in Specification II and
adopted here in full by reference, regarding his knowledge of,
participation in, execution of, and his motives behind planning and
funding the construction of the Northwest Florida State College's Joint
Use Facility to be located at the Destin airport, and the benefit said
facility was planned to bring directly to Jay Alan Odom of Destin and
to his company, Destin Jet, LLC, and/or to the college, and indirectly
to Representative Sansom himself, could reasonably have caused the
complainant to lose faith and confidence in the integrity of the
Florida House of Representatives, more particularly as she alleged it
did in her sworn complaint dated January 6, 2009.
SPECIFICATION III: I find probable cause to believe that the
conduct of Representative Ray Sansom described in the Findings of Fact
in Specification III and adopted here in full by reference, regarding
his knowledge of, participation in, and motives behind the planning for
and holding of the "private" legislative briefing meeting of the Board
of Trustees of Okaloosa-Walton College in Tallahassee on March 24,
2008, could reasonably have caused the complainant to lose faith and
confidence in the integrity of the Florida House of Representatives,
more particularly as she alleged it did in her sworn complaint dated
January 6, 2009.
Kahn, a former Senate general counsel,
was appointed by House Speaker Larry Cretul to investigate an ethics
complaint filed against Sansom by was filed by Susan Smith of Odessa.
Smith said Sansom violated House rules by taking a $110,0000 job at
Northwest Florida State College on the same day he was sworn in as
speaker.
His report is here.
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