Ambler, Rivera rip grand jury's criticism of budget process

Two of Ray Sansom's colleagues in the Florida House blasted the grand jury findings.

Rep. Kevin Amber, R-Tampa: "I'm a former federal prosecutor and I ran grand juries. I could indict a ham sandwich if I wanted to,'' Ambler said. "You're hearing one side. You're hearing the prosecutors selection of evidences he wants them to hear to reach the conclusion the prosecutor wants them to reach.''

Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami: "The American political system was indicted," adding he hadn't read the document. "If those grand jurors served in the Legislature for two years they would have come to a much different conclusion...It was a runaway grand jury."

"You want to outlaw political donations? Is that what they want?'' Rivera said.

"As long as the process provides transparency towards who's giving and in what amount that gives them the protection for their First Amendment right to contribute to the candidates that they choose,'' Ambler.

"This is how every Legislature in the country is operating. This is how Congress operates,'' Ambler said.

"It reinforces in my view the statements that were made by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor that says our country is sorely lacking in education of civics. We have nation of adults that doesn't understand how the political system works. They are judging the system simply by the headline they read in the press and if they were to become properly educated in the democratic system they would have much better confidence that the system has checks and balances."

--- Reporting by Mary Ellen Klas

Comments

[not a fan]

Kevin Ambler you are a pompous know it all jerk who thinks anybody gives a flip what tumbles out of your loud mouth.

Judging by your waistline looks like you can down a few ham sandwiches too while you're telling the world how brilliant you are.

[TGND]

Ambler is insufferable. Rivera is oddly tone deaf on this one.

[Anitere]

David Rivera will be the next to be indicted along with his girlfriend Esther Nuhfer. David Lives the life of a millionaire yet makes $29,000 per year. How does he do it? Well all you have to do to get a bill passed is hire his girlfriend Esther Nuhfer.

[Raul]

I think Rep. Esteban Bobo will be in trouble next because everyone knows he works at Miami Childrens Hospital and he signed the contract for the Hospital to hire a lobbyist to lobby him. What's the name of the lobbyist.. Viviana Bobo...his WIFE!!!

[O.J.]

I totally agree with these great minds of jurisprudence.

I did not kill Nicole!

[Morons Squared]

This will be great on a campaign flyer.

"I vigorously defended the indicted former speaker. I stood tall and proud defending the unethical and criminal behavior of this man. I fully intend to preserve the status quo of government for sale when I'm elected."

[Anitere]

How is it that David Rivera ran the slots campaign in Dade county. How was he paid? Didn't a PAC pay him? Isn't it illegal to pay a State Representative from a PAC???

[George Washingon]

Drain the Swamp!

Look at these guys next! They sound guilty too!

[O.J.]

I totally agree with these fine protectors of the right to a trial.

And I will help any way I can. I didn't do it either.

[give me a break please]

Rivera should be investigated. I may even file an ethics complaint myself. Their actions need to be investigated. The people are not putting up with this anymore. We have had it. GET IT GUYS ? Ambler is a pompass butt. How dare him, a State Representative trying to take over the Judicial branch. You are in the Legislative branch. You idiots can't even exhibit competence in your jobs, and you certainly are not without hypocrisy, and thievery yourselves. Now you simpleminded idiots want to dictate to the Grand Jury. Please just shut up. If you think you are helping the Republican party, forget it. You make us look like f---ing as-holes. Somebody in charge , stop these BAFOONS and start the investigation especially of Rivera.

[truth be told?]

When will Chip Case take the stand?

[get-smart]

Rep. Kevin Amber, R-Tampa: "I'm a former federal prosecutor and I ran grand juries. I could indict a ham sandwich if I wanted to ..."

Translation: "I'm a dirtbag lawyer and now I'm robbing the taxpayers as a dirtbag politician."
------
Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami: "The American political system was indicted...If those grand jurors served in the Legislature for two years they would have come to a much different conclusion...It was a runaway grand jury."

Translation: "If they ever served as a dirtbag politician like me, they too would know what it is like to scam and fleece the voters."

[give me a break please]

MR BEAN IS NEXT.

[John Jay]

Rivera has a lot of damn gall to say this is just busy as usual. The worst part is: he is probably right.

So what if a developer pays political contributions in order to have the Speaker of the House fund a private airplane hanger with taxpayer dollars funneled through a corrupt State College President?

The developer gets his hangar paid for by the taxpayers; the Speaker gets a $110,000 "Fund Raiser" job paid by the taxpayers; and the College President gets millions paid by taxpayers.

Meanwhile, we are cutting funding for school kids, cops, the handcapped, the elderly, and everything else.

And Rivera asks, "What's the big deal?"

As someone said, "DRAIN THE SWAMP."

[david]

esther is hot. leave her out of this Custin!

[:]

There are ongoing FBI investigations of other Florida Legislators that are soon to break.

[1]

And I shifted money from schools to the sunrail to nowhere

[Michael]

Hey Ramblin Amblin Ambler, you know damn well about indicting ham sandwiches. You were "Mad dog Merkels Bitc$.

[H-D Man]

Heh Amber and Rivera: Do Floridians and make teaching Civics your 'calling'. You say it's so needed so put up or shut up or what is it.. Is it that you find it lucrative where you're at and you enjoy being hob-nobbed by the fleecing money crowd.

Yep--just like DC [Distr. if Criminals]

Now how 'bout this--just shut-UP!

[william]

I don't usually defend republican legislators, I usually defend people charged with crimes. As a defense lawyer, I have to admit Ambler is correct. A good state attorney doesn't present something to a grand jury unless they have a good idea they can present a plausible story to them. However, that is where it ends. No defense. No chance to present other evidence. I don't know if any exists but clearly they can at least present their version of any facts. This is not a conviction and people need to remember that the presumption of innocence until proven guilty is still a fundamental right in our society.

[Julito]

Hey Evelio, you fat low class piece of crap, where is the anti-sansom airplane?

[Ned]

He's not just a ham sandwhich, he's a rotten ham sandwhich.

[Voice]

Notice that Ambler failed to mention Jay Odom - the true bandit in this story. Wonder why?

It's well known that Odom contributed over $340,000.00 to The Republican Party of Florida since 2000, heavily in `07 & `08.

In 2002 & 2004, Ambler received over $90,000.00 from the same organization for his campaigns.

Ambler must protect the Odom factor... so he attacks everything else.
He needs to GO.

[Paul]

Any Democrats standing up for Sansom?

These guys must be as honest as he is, if they can defend him.

Are they saying that they all would do the same thing if in his place?

If this is true, we are all in trouble.

Why hasn't Charlie come forward and make a statement?

[Young American]

Florida's political system should be indicted.

There isn't a member of the Legislature who isn't there because wealthy patron put him there to provide special favors.

The money sloshes around in CCEs and state party slush funds, and appropriations are made without any public scrutiny.

Sansom is right because if he's guilty, nearly every other member would have to be sent to jail.

And he's wrong because they should be.

Why has our state legalized corruption?

[tim]

Someone needs to ask whether the effort to "steal" a state mental health hospital, over ride a committee, its members and chair constitute an abuse of power. Cretul is misusing the Speaker's Office to create a benefit for a single company, billion dollar giant GEO care and its lobbyists. Have a closer look and you will be surprised to learn who is lurking in the shadows

[Myer]

Rivera states: "They are judging the system simply by the headline they read in the press and if they were to become properly educated in the democratic system they would have much better confidence that the system has checks and balances."
"They" (the grand jury) are judging the system based on the testimony they heard in their investigation--testimony from Sansom, Hansen, Carlton and others explained how budget decisions are made. They didn't reach their conclusions from press headlines! And, yes Rivera the system does have checks and balances--that is what we are seeing here. The executive branch (prosecutor) has an indictment to prosecute now; the judicial branch will determine whether Sansom is guilty/not guilty. Checks and balances are wonderful and working well here. Not the most intelligent commnets by Rivera!

[Free Market Republican]

Ambler convict a ham sandwich? I bet he would try. He's a jerk. I remember when he and his lawyer friends attacked another Republican in the primaries. Ambler said that his opponent didn't have any 'family values' because he didn't have a family of his own. What Ambler knew and failed to tell everybody is that his opponent and his wife had 5 miscarriages. It was a horrible tragedy for them and he attacked them on it! He's a world class jerk and as a Republican, I vote against him every chance that I get.

He's also about the least fiscally conservative politicians I've met that claim to be a Republican. He makes horrible decisions that have put Florida small business owners in tough times. The only thing Ambler is good for is chasing ambulances for cash.

[Ray]

Also, Mr. Speaker please remove the spouse’s baby sitting program from the budget…….

In these tough economic times the citizens of Florida should not be subsidizing a babysitting service for members……

Please restore some sense of common sense back to budget process.

[TriplePlay]

It's absolutely amazing the sense of entitlement these guys have. Rivera argues that this is how all state legislatures work including congress? He justifies it! He needs to be investigated. I love it how quiet Charlie is. He hears the footsteps and is quick to disassociate himself.

[joe smith]

Ambler is a trial lawyer that spends most of his time protecting the "jury system" for his trial lawyer buddies. Yet, when one of his cohorts gets indicted by a grand jury, what does he do? He attacks the jury system.

[Who's Next]

The biggest question is when Nick Thompson gets indicted behind Sansom. Thompson was involved in getting Edison about as much money and then got himself a no-show, no-notice, no-other-candidate-considered-six-figure-salary.

[callitlikeiseeit]

Ambler would indict a ham sandwich if he could only keep from eating it first. He just can't pass up a ham sandwich

[terminator]

we need not outlaw campaign contributions just 527's and CCE's.
that would help clean up a lot of corruption.
and we need tighter campaign finance laws that oversee the local, state and national party structure.
there are little more than personal slush funds for powerful legislators.
David should not be indicting the grand jury but distancing himself from Sansom and this scandal by quickly embracing more transparency and accountability.
C'mon, David, the people want good government, not "business as usual".
Wednesday's tea parties show the American taxpayer has had it with both parties and the next American Revolution is on the way.
Either get ahead of the curve or.....well you know what happened to the British!

[Scumbag politicians]

Funny Rivera defends Sansom when Rivera was the one who sold him out to the Press because he was pouting that he didn't get the full appropriations chair.

[Forrest]

Tripleplay, you said it best: "It's absolutely amazing the sense of entitlement these guys have."

[.]

AMEN!!! Politics run by the press headlines!! A truer statement was never made!

[Kick the Bums Out]

So the legislature that removed civics as a high school graduation requirement bemoans its absence?

And Kevin Ambler says that he had the ability to indict an innocent person had he wanted to?

Leave it to these fine Republican elected officials to accept a corrupt budgeting system.

If the Times investigated Rivera with half the vigor of the Sansom investigation, it would absolutely, definitively result in another indictment.

[truth hurts]

I can't think of another legislator who is more disliked by his colleagues than Kevin Ambler.

If his constituents only knew how ineffective and useless he is.

The man is a joke.

[Jason Straight]

GOP Scum always floata to el topa

[Pompano]

Hey look, it’s Jason Straight, the Broward Democrat.

You are so right buddy. No Democrat from Broward ever went to prison for stealing taxpayer $

U.S. Attorney is about to drain that cesspool.

[mad moderate]

So true triple play.
I like the typical double speak and turn around the argument.There is a reason we have multiple branches of government the judicial branch had to make a move on these corrupt republicans because they refused to police their own,as the matter of fact sansom was praised by all republicans.
This is not at all about contributions unless the former prosecutor is talking about repaying odom for all the contributions.
Also the "former prosecutor" didn't mention how sansom buttered up the budget,which is the charge.
Sansom is a crook,his buddies are crooks and not one of his republican
cronies would say a negative thing about him. Time to kick some republican lawmaker butts.
Imagine that,legislators that think corruption is just fine,as long as it benefits republicans.My rep is Cretul,I hope at one point he grows up and speaks out against this "business as usual" crap. They should be held to a higher standard then us,not a much lower standard!!!

[Ham Sandwich]

Hey Ambler why don’t you indict another donut.

You sir are an embarrassment.

[What were they indicted for again...]

While I believe perception is almost everything in politics...

Richberg was indicted for lying...

Sansom and Richberg for conduct unbecoming - basically creating a need after the fact...

If Sansom and Richberg would have remained quiet, probably nothing that could have happened...

The grand jury's editorial of the budget process was simply that... of the process...

Is Sansom guilty of bringing home the bacon? Every legislators is guilty then...