Welcome to

Next week a grand jury will be selected to decide whether or not Florida’s House Speaker Ray Sansom will face criminal charges. Ethics complaints have also been submitted to the legislature and the state’s ethics commission. As Whitney Ray tells us, it could be months before we know if Sansom broke the law.

Hear it Here: Sansom Faces Investigations

The Grand Jury will be selected Monday morning. The complaint submitted to the State’s Ethics Commission could be heard when the board meets again in March.

House Speaker Ray Sansom has been surrounded in controversy since his very first day as House leader. Two months and two ethics complaints later, The speaker finally answered questions about the six figure job he took at Northwest Florida State College.

“Once the controversy started I committed our members that the Florida House was more important to any job I might have,” said Sansom.

Sansom resigned the college job under mounting pressure. Investigations are also underway into a six million dollar hanger once sought by a big contributor and possible sunshine law violations when college trustees met in Tallahassee.

In an attempt to keep the meeting private Sansom and the college’s board of trustees held a meeting here at Florida State University.

The March meeting was advertised in a Destin newspaper. Governor Charlie Crist is a champion of open government, but won’t personally criticize Sansom.

“It’s the people’s government. If they can’t see it, watch it, analyze it and criticize it that’s not a very good place to be,’ said Crist. ‘Does it give you concern,’ asked one reporter. ‘Everything gives me concern.’”

Enough people in Tallahassee were concerned about the issue, to persuade State Attorney Willie Meggs to call for a Grand Jury Investigation.