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Republicans Ditch Sansom, Pick New Leader

The Associated Press

House Speaker Ray Sansom, R-Destin, faces questions from colleagues for accepting a job from Northwest Florida State College, after he funneled $35 million to the school.

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By CATHERINE DOLINSKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 2, 2009

Updated: 02/02/2009 10:02 pm

TALLAHASSEE - House Republicans unanimously chose Rep. Larry Cretul as their new leader tonight, allowing him to take over Ray Sansom's duties as House Speaker immediately.

Seventy-four of the House Republican Conference's 76 members were on-hand to elect Cretul as their leader during a 9 p.m. caucus meeting held in the House chamber. There were no other nominations. Sansom was among those in attendance, formally resigning his post as Republican leader and voting for Cretul to replace him.

Per the rules, Cretul will retain his current title of Speaker pro tempore until his presumed election as Speaker in March. Sansom technically remains Speaker until then, but Cretul will take over Sansom's leadership duties immediately.

In a quiet, somber voice, Cretul kept his remarks after the vote brief. "I think it's probably fair to say that all of us would prefer to be somewhere else," he said thanking his colleagues for their support and promising to his best.

Tonight's action followed a flurry of legal questions and negotiations that erupted after embattled Speaker Sansom attempted last Friday to recuse himself from his leadership duties temporarily.

Sansom had told members that he was handing over the gavel to Cretul, who is next-in-command, while a grand jury probes Sansom's dealings with Northwest Florida State College. A grand jury ordered state attorney Willie Meggs of Tallahassee last month to investigate, among other things, Sansom's channeling of $35 million to the college and subsequent acceptance of a $110,000-salaried vice presidency there.

Sansom continues to insist that he has done nothing wrong.

Within hours of Sansom's attempt at recusing himself, members of both parties began questioning whether House rules permitted him to step aside temporarily. House Rules Chairman Bill Galvano responded over the weekend with a formal opinion that Sansom's action was not permitted.

Galvano, R-Bradenton, recommended instead that the House Republican Conference choose a new leader, and that the House elect a new Speaker at the start of the next legislative session on March 3.

House rules do not permit selection of its speaker when the Legislature is not in session. The elected leader of the majority party becomes that party's nominee for Speaker.

Galvano, a former rival of Sansom's for the position of Speaker, stressed in his letter that he would not seek to the position himself.

"If you look at what has precipitated these events … just the perception out there in general right now – I think it was very important that the when the members and the public viewed my decisions, that there would be no question as to the motives," he said Monday.

After meeting, Rep. Rich Gloriso said he had hoped and prayed the controversy over Sansom would not reach this point.

"My stomach's kind of churning right now; I feel like I've lost my best friend," said Glorioso, R-Plant City. "But it's something that had to be done – unfortunately, it had to be done. We had to make sure we had solid leadership in the House."

Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said he believes that Sansom will be exonerated in the end. But the controversy had become a distraction for the Speaker, Weatherford said, making it difficult for him to focus on the legislative session.

"The challenges we face are so great, we have to get focused on what the challenges are, and not the past," said Weatherford, who is expected to become Speaker himself in four years. "We needed new leadership at the helm; I think that Speaker Cretul can do that."

Prior to Monday's caucus meeting, Cretul met with reporters to announce that he had tapped former Republican lawmaker Dudley Goodlette as his new chief of staff. He also took the opportunity to introduce himself in personal terms -- disclosing that he watches "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars" with his wife, and listing both "The Art of War" and the Holy Bible among the books he has been perusing recently.

His main reading material of late, he said, has been the state budget. "This reading material is not for the faint of heart," he said. "Our immediate now needs to get back to the business of the Florida House, and also to the households of the state of Florida."

Cretul said he did not campaign for the position he is taking, nor does he have promises he feels he must fulfill. "I have no ambition other than spending time with my grandsons, and they are the only ones I hope to impress."

Sansom, who will remain a House member, will play an as-yet undetermined role in Cretul's administration, he said.

Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek, said that doesn't bother him.

As the ranking minority member of the Rules committee, Waldman was among the first to question the legality of Sansom's attempt at temporary recusal. Monday, he said he's not worried about Sansom pulling the strings of a Cretul administration, noting as evidence the fact that Cretul has already chosen a new chief of staff.

"I feel that Speaker Cretul is going to set his own course at this point," Waldman said.

Reporter Catherine Dolinski can be reached at (850) 222-8382.

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