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House panel decides to continue investigating former House Speaker

Posted Nov 5, 2009 by Catherine Dolinski, Tallahassee bureau

Updated Nov 5, 2009 at 10:42 AM

A House panel has rejected a request from former House Speaker Ray Sansom that it suspend its investigation into his conduct while criminal proceedings against him are still pending.

The panel is responding to a citizen complaint about Sansom’s past handling of state appropriations and whether his actions violated the chamber’s rules of conduct. Sansom, R-Destin, faces criminal charges stemming from the same matter.

Sansom’s lawyers asked the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in writing to stay its investigation until the court case has been resolved. This morning, attorney Richard Coates addressed the committee in person on Sansom’s behalf, asking that the members “not look at this in a vacuum.”

Melanie Hines, independent counsel to the panel, said there is no Constitutional requirement that civil or administrative proceedings be stayed pending the outcome of a parallel criminal case. The House panel has seven months in which to reach a finding, Hines said, and “if we wait for the appellate court to decide this case … we may well be beyond where this committee and the full House can act, and it would moot out this complaint before you, without your ever having been able to address it.”

Committee chairman Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said he did not think at this point that going forward would “demonstrably prejudice substantial rights of the investigated party,” a standard established by legal precedent.

The panel voted unanimously to continue its investigation. A hearing is scheduled the week of Jan. 25.