TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom is suing the state for more than $800,000 in legal expenses after beating corruption charges.
His lawyer, Robert A. Harper, said Tuesday that he'd like to see the money come from the state attorney who prosecuted Sansom. But Harper conceded that's unlikely.
Harper said it was coincidence that Florida law requires such lawsuits against the state be filed against Tallahassee-based State Attorney Willie Meggs, who filed charges against Sansom and later dropped them.
The Destin Republican faced grand theft and other charges over earmarking $6 million so Northwest Florida State College could build an airport building allegedly for use by a co-defendant. The school then gave Sansom a $110,000 job. Sansom resigned from the college job and stepped down as speaker.
Associated Press