By MICHAEL C. BENDER
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

TALLAHASSEE — A controversial college construction project in the Panhandle followed a similar initiative at Indian River State College, according to e-mails assembled in the criminal case against former state House Speaker Ray Sansom.
But the building in Fort Pierce has one important difference, former Senate President Ken Pruitt recently said in sworn pre-trial testimony:

“There is no airport hangar there,” Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, told state investigators.

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Former House Speaker Ray Sansom was the “kingpin” in a $6 million budget deal that ultimately resulted in indictments for himself, former Northwest Florida State College President Bob Richburg and RPOF donor Jay Odom.

Richburg referred to Sansom as the “kingpin in this whole operation” in an e-mail included in a set of records released today by the Leon County state attorney’s office. State Attorney Willie Meggs said his office received the records recently as part of a public records request to the college.

The e-mail is one of several that also include reference to then-Senate President Ken Pruitt, a Port St. Lucie Republican who gave Sansom, Odom and Richburg a tour of Indian River State College before the three started their project.

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Special investigator D. Stephen Kahn released his investigation of former House Speaker Ray Sansom today, deciding that the Destin Republican’s budget dealings and his relationship with Northwest Florida State College left probable cause for the public to “lose faith” in the integrity of the Florida House.

Sansom

House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, announced that panel will include Rules Chairman Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton; Faye Culp, R-Tampa; Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City; Joe Gibbons, D-Hallandale Beach, and Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs.

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Meggs

Meggs shrugged when asked when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement would finish a forensic exam.

“Since the legislature is building airport hangars instead of funding FDLE, they’re a little behind,” Meggs said.

Sansom was indicted in April after a grand jury agreed that he had disguised a hangar as a $6 million college building in the budget. That item also led to indictments of former Northwest Florida State College President Bob Richburg and Destin Jet owner Jay Odom, who has given millions to Sansom and the state GOP.

Sansom has maintained his innocence. He resigned as speaker but remains a powerful member of the House leadership.

Meggs seized the computer in search of documents not already revealed by public records requests. State legislators are not bound by the same strict “sunshine” laws they impose on other officials. For example, House members don’t have to hand over emails older than 30 days.

But even that time frame does not guarantee records. The Palm Beach Post requested all of Sansom’s e-mails within one 30-day period, but the records showed an 11-day gap for which no e-mails were provided.

Public records and access has remained an ongoing issue in Sansom’s indictment. Some of the grand jury’s most penetrating remarks were saved for the state budget process. Jurors criticized the legislature for allowing the state’s operating document to be crafted by as few as two legislators behind closed doors.

Despite that criticism, Republican leaders in the House and Senate spent 10 days behind closed doors this spring hashing out details of the state’s $66.5 billion budget.

Attorneys for both Senate President Jeff Atwater and House Speaker Larry Cretul have determined that documents created in those legislative meetings are not public record, spokeswomen for the two Republicans have told the Post.

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Click here for the indictment

(AP) — Former House Speaker Ray Sansom is facing a new charge of perjury.

State Attorney Willie Meggs says Sansom lied to a grand jury when he testified that a proposed Northwest Florida State College airport hangar wouldn’t be used for by any private entity.

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