Odom Indicted

[beachFool]

Grand jury convenes in Tallahassee | state, jury, hearing - News - Northwest Florida Daily News

It appears the Republican franchise is, hmmm, a bit tainted.

A Leon County grand jury added an additional count of perjury Wednesday to the official misconduct charge state Rep. Ray Sansom already faces.

It also indicted prominent local developer Jay Odom for official misconduct.

Both charges are felonies. Read the indictments for Sansom, Richburg and Odom ?

The indictments came from the same panel that indicted Sansom and Northwest Florida State College President Bob Richburg on April 17. It was its final act as a grand jury.

The panel took action after hearing testimony from two witnesses and reviewing documents State Attorney Willie Meggs said were obtained from Northwest Florida State College after Richburg left the school.

Richburg stepped down from his post April 20 after he was indicted. The college's board of trustees later fired him.
Odom joins Sansom and Richburg in facing a charge of official misconduct.

Sansom, R-Destin, the former House Speaker, now faces the same charges as Richburg. Both men are accused of perjuring themselves in testimony given to the grand jury.

Meggs, the state attorney for Florida's Second Judicial Circuit, presented the new evidence.

"We got some new documents from the school," Meggs revealed as the grand jury was deliberating Wednesday. "I don't know if they didn't want us to see them or they just didn't give them to us until after Richburg left."

The indictments stem from what the grand jurors say was a conspiracy involving Sansom, Richburg and Odom to use $6 million in state school construction funds to build an airplane hangar at Odom's business, Destin Jet.

Sansom, who then was the speaker designate, quietly had the funds appropriated to the college in 2007, the grand jury said in its April report.

Richburg claimed the funds were to be used for a building at Destin Airport that would serve as an educational facility and as an Emergency Operations Center during a disaster, the report said.

The educational facility, subleased by Northwest Florida State College, would be leased back to Odom and function as a hangar, grand jurors surmised.

Meggs said the perjury charge against Sansom stems from testimony he gave regarding the use of the airport building.

"He testified that no private individual would have use of the building," Meggs said after the indictment was handed down. "There is much evidence to the contrary."

Meggs said one piece of that evidence is a lease, or a partial lease, his investigators uncovered among the documents the college turned over after Richburg stepped down. He said the document indicates "the intent and plan was for Jay Odom to use the building."

College spokeswoman Sylvia Bryan said the lease Meggs spoke of was a document that already had been given to his office and to the Daily News.

She said in a prepared statement that the new documents provided to the state attorney were discovered the week of April 20, as college officials were "compiling files ... for different investigative bodies."

She said the documents "contained both materials previously supplied and materials that appeared not to have been previously supplied (and of which college staff were not previously aware)."

She did not disclose who had discovered the documents.

(Upon their discovery) "The college immediately supplied a copy of all the files to all three investigative bodies," Bryan said.

Meggs said the charge of official misconduct against Odom was justified because Odom acted as a "principal" to Sansom in funneling the $6 million appropriation to the college.

"He was a participant in getting this funding for Sansom," Meggs said.

Odom's attorney issued a response on his behalf.

"He (Odom) said the allegations of the indictment are false. He is not a public figure and he never suggested or advised anyone to falsify any official record or document as alleged," Odom's attorney, Jimmy Judkins, said in a news release.

"Odom will plead not guilty to the charge and expects to be totally exonerated when the facts are presented in an impartial arena and all parties have the chance to present evidence," Judkins said in the release.

Sansom's attorney, Stephen Dobson, said his client would be found not guilty when all of the evidence is presented at trial.
Dobson said the perjury charge "is misguided in its notion and we think we'll be able to show that."

Dobson also stated there is a "mountain of evidence" available to prove Sansom's innocence of colluding to allocate funds for Odom.

"This grand jury hasn't heard about the appropriateness of this building and the need it would have served," Dobson said. "It would have benefitted all the citizens of Destin.

"I'm confident that an unbiased jury will return a verdict of not guilty and Ray Sansom will be vindicated."

 

[ASH]

Politics in general are tainted.
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely.

Like the song says, it doesn't matter which side you look at, they are both just seperate wings on the same bird of prey.

 

[kkddbb]

the republican franchise is a bit tainted? why, because of this one case? silly. the left would like nothing more than to have a one party nation. as if thats what made this nation what it is. its typical talking points from the olby crowd and these looney blogs.

that said, i have no use for odom. ive seen his lack of interest in anything other than the almighty dollar. ive seen him throw sand in the eyes of grayton residents. so, if he's guilty than so be it. and if elected officials are also guilty than be gone with em. theres no room for crooks in our political system.

but, you can bet if this was a democrat there wouldnt be a peep. just look at the amount of dems that are under the spotlight that you never hear about. its not politically expediant...

 

[beachFool]

>>>but, you can bet if this was a democrat there wouldnt be a peep. just look at the amount of dems that are under the spotlight that you never hear about. its not politically expediant...<<<

Well, Roland Burris's name comes to mind. He may be in the same boat as these clowns.

I should have been more clear. The Northwest FL Republican franchise is a bit tainted.

Odom is a big Republican political operator.

 

[kkddbb]

and so will dick durbin, charlie rangel and numerous others. none of which you hear on any news networks or any daytime tv programmes. again, its simply not on the political radar. corruption is corruption-period. MSLSD isnt interested in providing the american people with anything other than ideology and so does the huffinton posts, media matters and the looney dailykos's of the world. wheres the hope and change and more importantly the open government? another empy suit.....

 

[rapunzel]

Name one local Democrat that is as unsavory as Ray Sansom or Jay Odom. This is, after all, the All About Sowal forum.

And if you don't like politicians, get involved in your local party -- assuming you aren't a corrupt and terrible person -- and change them. Run for precinct committeeman or committeewoman. Change the parties if you don't like them or what they stand for...locally, you can make a huge difference.

 

[Kurt]

This is, after all, the All About Sowal forum.

....

moved

 

[Interested Girl]

Name one local Democrat that is as unsavory as Ray Sansom or Jay Odom. This is, after all, the All About Sowal forum.

And if you don't like politicians, get involved in your local party -- assuming you aren't a corrupt and terrible person -- and change them. Run for precinct committeeman or committeewoman. Change the parties if you don't like them or what they stand for...locally, you can make a huge difference.

Name for me anyone in Walton county that is in office that ran as a Democrat.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Em]

Jay Odom is the Vice Chair for the North West Florida Transportation Authority, an authority which has major political pull in determining where public and private roads will be developed, yet his attorney says Mr Odom is not a public figure. Imagine that.

 

[Here4Good]

And I found this interesting...according to their website, the NFTCA has some pretty broad powers, including spending our money:

NFTCA History
The Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority (NFTCA) was created by the 2005 Florida Legislature. The enabling legislation is contained in Florida Statute Section 343.80. The primary purpose of the authority is to improve mobility on the US 98 corridor in Northwest Florida to enhance traveler safety, identify and develop hurricane evacuation routes, promote economic development along the corridor, and implement transportation projects to alleviate current or anticipated traffic congestion. The Authority is authorized to construct any feeder roads, reliever roads, connector roads, bypasses, or appurtenant facilities that are intended to improve mobility along the US 98 corridor. The Authority is further authorized to plan, design, finance, and construct transportation improvement projects. The NFTCA may acquire and hold title to property that will accommodate the development of transportation facilities. Additionally, the Authority may seek financial assistance from local, State and the Federal government as well as private entities. The NFTCA is also authorized to implement toll facilities to aid in funding projects.