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Sports Authority Members Criticize Consulting Deal

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Published: October 23, 2008

TAMPA - The executive director of the Tampa Sports Authority has come under fire for failing to disclose that a former board member had done consulting work for the authority's law firm.

The allegations of a conflict of interest between Sue House, who served on the authority's board from 1995 to 2007, and the Gray Robinson law firm surfaced this week during discussions over a replacement for the board's general counsel, John Van Voris.

Board members want to know why executive director Henry Saavedra didn't disclose the business relationship until Monday's board meeting, when a selection committee was voting on legal firms to represent the authority.

"Henry apparently knew about this for years and didn't disclose it," said board member Andrew Scaglione. "That greatly concerns me. We need to know about these things."

Saavedra said there was no conflict of interest and nothing illegal about House working part time for Gray Robinson while on the board. House was unavailable for comment.

Van Voris confirmed that House worked for "several years" as a part-time consultant for Gray Robinson until last year. He didn't know how much she was paid by the firm.

Financial disclosure forms from 1998 to 2006 show that House claimed income from her consulting work for Gray Robinson in 2004 and from the Holland & Knight law firm, which also did consulting work for the authority, in 1999 and 2000. "She never voted on my hiring," Van Voris said. "So I'm not aware of any conflict."

Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean has asked staff to look into whether House had a conflict of interest and whether Saavedra should have informed the TSA board about her work for Gray Robinson. "He has a duty to disclose these things to the board members," she said.

Saavedra, executive director since 1997, is paid $205,000 a year on his three-year contract with the board, which manages Raymond James Stadium and three city golf courses.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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