Grand jury indicts former Fla. House speaker
Eds: APNewsNow.
AP Photo FLPC211, FLTAL102, FLPC210, FLTAL101
By BRENT KALLESTAD
Associated Press Writer
ADVERTISEMENT
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A grand jury has indicted Florida’s former House speaker on a third-degree felony charge of official misconduct.
Ray Sansom resigned amid scandal, and a grand jury charged him Friday with misusing his position to benefit the Panhandle college that hired him for a six-figure job. Northwest Florida State College President Bob Richburg was also indicted.
Richburg hired Sansom to a $110,000-a-year job at the school on the same day he became speaker in November. Sansom was hired as the school’s top fundraiser at a salary of $25,000 more than his predecessor.
Sansom surrendered to authorities Friday afternoon and was released. He says in a statement that he’s innocent and will be vindicated.
Richburg attorney Deeno Kitchen says someone’s got the facts wrong.
