Today's Daily Schadenfreude: Ray Sansom

See, this is what happens to politicians when they get, as they say here in America's Taint™, "too big for their britches." Power most definitely corrupts, and in Florida, Exhibit A for that adage right now is former state House speaker Ray Sansom (R-Defendant).

Already facing a charge of official misconduct for his role in arranging a sweetheart deal with Northwest Florida State College for his developer pal Jay Odom and for taking a $110,000-a-year job with NFSC in apparent exchange for having routed millions of budget dollars there over the years, Sansom was hit with an additional charge of perjury yesterday. The Republican from Destin now matches former NFSC president Bob Richburg, who already had been charged with both offenses, and Odom also was indicted for official misconduct in the bargain.

Odom, a developer and major contributor to the Florida Republican Party and Sansom's political causes, was not [previously] indicted. But State Attorney Willie Meggs said information obtained in the past five weeks indicated that Odom was involved with Sansom and Richburg in a plan to make a hangar for his jets look like a "multi-use" center for emergency management during hurricanes, or a classroom facility for the Niceville college.

Meggs said the official-misconduct law applying to Sansom and Richburg, who held public offices, also covers any citizen who "becomes a principle" [sic] by inducing or assisting misconduct.

"You don't even have to be present when the crime occurs," Meggs said.

He said the added perjury charge against Sansom, who has stepped down as speaker but remains a member of the House, was brought because he denied that the airport building was meant for Odom.

"Basically, we had Rep. Sansom's grand jury testimony transcribed," said Meggs. "The intent and plan was for Jay Odom to use the building."

He said Sansom repeatedly testified "that no individual was going to use that building, no private individual would have use of the building."

In passing the 2007-08 budget, Meggs said, "the Legislature was misled by that appropriation because the building that was being built was actually an aircraft hangar."

He said Odom was indicted because "he was in fact a participant in getting this funding through Rep. Sansom. We found a document, a lease, where he was going to move aircraft into this building as soon as it was built." Meggs said the lease was found in college files after Richburg left.

I'm not saying every Republican is corrupt. I'm also not saying there are no corrupt Democrats. But it seems patently obvious that the GOP shoulders the lion's share of malfeasance, at least in Florida (see, e.g., Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp). And the Sansom thing has smelled pretty rank for months now; lying to the Legislature only adds to the stench.

I don't know -- maybe I take this issue a little personally, since the job given to Sansom at the community college was basically the same gig I had at another college some years ago, and being out of work right now, I hate to see a job for which I'm qualified go to an undeserving legislator as a quid pro quo for services rendered. But it does my heart -- and my confidence -- good to see Sansom and his cronies get what they deserve: indictments, trips to court soon and, one can hope, a little time behind bars (unlikely, I know, but a guy can dream, can't he?).

So now, Ray, you've got two indictments staring you down. But the silver lining, of course, is that once again, you have something to celebrate ... because today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude* is for you!

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* You know, if this keeps up, I just may name the whole Daily Schadenfreude award for Sansom. And, boy, do I hope it keeps up!