Attorney: Bloggers played role in Sansom's downfall

The state House ethics committee concluded its meeting today at which committee chairman Bill Galvano confirmed that because of Rep. Ray Sansom's resignation "action by this committee is rendered moot."

Sansom abruptly resigned from the Legislature on Sunday night, on the eve of the committee's hearing into allegations that he misdirected millions of state dollars for his own benefit.

Sansom was not present for today's meeting. After it adjourned, his attorney, Gloria Fletcher, said he resigned because the proceedings were unfair. Sansom, she said, could not properly defend himself, partly as a result of "very narrow rulings as to which witnesses we could call, which witnesses we could compel."

The entanglement of the House charges against Sansom and those pending against him in court also created a problem, she said. "Mr. Odom, Dr. Richburg, Rep. Sansom all have constitutional rights, and they needed to be protected. Quite frankly, the criminal case had to trump these proceedings."

The attorney also complained that "bloggers" were now deciding who serves in the Florida House. She also commented on revelations in the press that Eric Jotkoff, spokesman for the state Democratic Party, had in fact drafted the complaint that a private citizen had filed against Sansom, which had sparked the House probe.

"I thought the Constitution was by, for and with the people," she said. "Call me politically naïve, I had absolutely no idea that bloggers determined who served and who didn't. I thought it was we the citizens."

Asked for an explanation of her comment about bloggers, she said the depositions in the case made clear how and which bloggers played a role in Sansom's downfall. "It names names, and it names blogs."

Galvano disputed her contention that the proceedings were unfair.

"I think it was a very, very fair process," he said. "I think, you know, we are in unprecedented territory. I can't remember the last time that the House has gone this far with a due process procedure, leading up to a hearing. I know the committee and the members took extraordinary steps to make sure that we could provide as much fairness and due process as is possible.

The Bradenton Republican - once a rival of Sansom's for the position of House speaker but who ultimately nominated him for the post - said that today's conclusion, including Sansom's resignation, is probably the best outcome for the House - although Galvano was fully prepared, he said, to go forward with the hearing prior to receiving Sansom's letter.

He believes, he said, the budgeting process has been improved since the Sansom scandal broke, in the sense that it has become more transparent.

A grand jury indicted Sansom, a Republican from Destin, accusing him of pouring $6 million of state dollars into an airport building project intended to benefit a political donor.

Those allegations stem from Sansom's time as the House's budget chairman in 2007 and 2008.

Sansom is accused of shepherding tens of millions of dollars in funding for the Northwest Florida State College through the Legislature. On the day he became House speaker, in November 2008, Sansom also accepted a job at the college, earning $110,000 per year. He resigned the college post as criticism mounted in the media.

Last month, State Attorney Willie Meggs of Tallahassee added charges of grand theft and conspiracy to commit grand theft to the allegations against Sansom, former Northwest Florida State College President Bob Richburg and Okaloosa County developer Jay Odom. All three were previously charged with official misconduct, and Sansom also faces a perjury count. No trial date has been set.

Sansom denied the charges against him and maintained his innocence in his resignation letter.