Ray Sansom

Ray Sansom was hired to a $110,000-a-year job at Northwest Florida State College, the same day he became Florida House speaker. Before becoming speaker, Sansom steered $200,000 to the school's leadership institute. The job of vice president of development and planning was never advertised. Sansom was the only candidate offered the job.

New documents reveal an additional $750,000 of start up funds Sansom budgeted for the community college. Florida State College President Bob Richburg sat in a meeting with Sansom to make the budget requests. You will not be shocked to learn that Richburg hired Sansom.

Richburg made his best attempt at spin.

Richburg called Sansom a "very effective legislator" who brought the college millions in funding but denied the job was payback. “His appointment to this college had nothing to do with securing these projects. These projects were in the pipeline."

Yes, these projects were in the pipeline. That is the problem.