TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom is asking a judge to award him $800,000 in taxpayer money for legal fees from his successful defense against a 2009 indictment for official misconduct.
A bench trial in Sansom's lawsuit against the state seeking the fees is scheduled for Thursday in Leon County Circuit Court.
Sansom was accused of seeking $6 million in state money for a hangar at the Destin airport for Jay Odom, a local businessman and major Republican donor. Sansom said the money was for a hurricane-proof emergency operations center.
The charges were dropped by State Attorney Willie Meggs after a judge refused to let a key witness testify. The Destin Republican argues that the state should pay the tab because the charges were related to his official legislative duties.
