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Former Fla. House Speaker Sansom indicted on felony charge

Associated Press file photo

Ray Sansom spent an hour and 20 minutes answering questions from the grand jury Thursday.

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By WILLIAM MARCH and CATHERINE DOLINSKI

Published: April 17, 2009

Updated: 04/17/2009 01:45 pm

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Ray Sansom

TALLAHASSEE - Former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom and Northwest Florida State College President Robert Richburg have been indicted by a Leon County grand jury on one count each of official misconduct, with an additional count of perjury against Richburg, Leon County State Attorney Willie Meggs confirmed.

Sansom and Richburg were indicted in connection with a scandal involving Sansom's arranging state funding for the college, which provided Sansom a $110,000-a-year job.

A spokesman for the Leon County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that Sansom responded to the indictment by turning himself in earlier today; he was released at about 3:30 p.m. on his own recognizance.

Sansom, a Destin Republican, resigned his post as speaker of the state House in February — one of the most powerful positions in state government — and also resigned from the college job after news reports of the situation caused Republicans in the House to question his leadership.

The count of perjury against Richburg accuses him of lying in testimony to the grand jury in the case, Meggs said.

Gov. Charlie Crist says the indictment of Sansom is "distressing," but that it's up to the state House what to do about it.

Asked by reporters a few minutes ago whether he would consider suspending Richburg from office, Crist said said, "I would have to look at that, perhaps."

But he apparently doesn't have the legal authority to suspend Sansom.

"The bodies really take significant control of their internal rules and how they deal with their own membership," Crist said. "That probably would be appropriate here as well."

According to Mark Herron, an expert on law dealing with elections and public officials, Crist is right about that—the governor doesn't have any authority over the Legislature.

"Each House is the sole judge of the qualifications of its members," Herron said. Unless Sansom is convicted, Herron said, he can't be forced out of office.

State House rules allow an indicted member to voluntarily request to be relieved of duties, but not for that member to be forcibly suspended, he said.

When told the news of the indictment by reporters, Crist said, "Obviously that's distressing to hear. ... Our system of criminal justice has a presumption of innocence in it. We all ought to be respectful of that. An indictment is not a conviction. But obviously it's something that's taken seriously, and I'm sure will be handled well."

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761.

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