FLORIDA - Florida's new house speaker is defending himself against allegations of political favoritism.

Representative Ray Sansom of Destin says he did *nothing wrong when he helped secure funds for a local college.... where he is now employed.

The controversy started when the St. Pete Times newspaper published an article suggesting sansom used his position to steer state funds from this year's budget toward Northwest florida State College in Niceville.... over other community colleges.

The college was slated to receive one million dollars for a building project... But got over 25 million dollars instead.

The article ties that decision to discussions between Sansom and college president Bob Richburg.... who hired Sansom to be vice president of planning for the college just a few weeks ago.

Representative Sansom says that article is misleading... But he doesn't deny doing what he could to help the college.

This 28 acre portion of the Northwest Florida State College campus will soon be the site of a new Emergency Operations Center For Okaloosa County.... an R-O-T-C center... And a new sports arena.

The construction is ongoing, as we speak... and it's going to be available to us for our use... in about 12 months from now.

It wouldn't have happened that fast without the 25 million dollars Ray Sansom helped secure last March.

The project with the Northwest Florida State College was 1 of 12 that was accelerated.

Sansom says that fact was left out of the St. Pete times article... As was the fact that the public education and capital outlay... Or PECO budget was actually in good shape... Compared to other state funds.

365 million... and... you don't have to spend all of that, but you can't use it to go anywhere else in the budget. It would just sit there for the next year.

Still, the 25 million dollars appropriated for the project was the single largest item in the PECO budget.... leading newspaper editors across the state to question Sansom's role in the appropriation..... Just months before he accepted a 110 thousand dollar a year job at the college.

They're totally separate. I don't connect them. Those who want to connect them, I think are trying to connect dots where there's no connection possible.

There is no personal gain. Absolutely not, there's no personal gain to build a community service center for Northwest Florida... for evacuations and for our 9-1-1 system, and for our ability here in Northwest Florida to deal with natural emergencies.

Both Sansom and Richburg both say there was no discussion of his employment at the college before last spring's budget process.Questions About Funding For College For Ray Sansom