According to a story in today's Orlando Sentinel, FSU has spent TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS on defending their academic fraud scandal.

According to documents FSU released earlier this month, the university has paid more than $200,000 to The Compliance Group, the consulting firm Florida State enlisted in September 2007 to help the university through its investigation.

After the Committee on Infractions on March 6 released its ruling, Florida State entered into a contractual agreement with the Tallahassee-based Gray Robinson law firm, which is handling FSU's appeal to the NCAA.

The question I have is, where did that money come from? Is it FSU athletics cash or state cash? The article is a bit confusing on that point. I'm editing for space to show my confusion, so I suggest reading the whole article.

...the athletic department, which isn't funded entirely by the state. Instead, the majority of the FSU athletic department's monies come from revenue generated by Seminole Boosters, Inc., Atlantic Coast Conference television contracts for football and men's basketball and other outside sources...Though the FSU athletic department isn't funded by state money, the department is still struggling financially.

 We know that FSU athletics recieves some state funds, but is it designated for stadium/erector set upkeep or placed in an account that can not be used for other things? If it is state cash paying for these lawyers, that $200,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to FSU's $73 million in expected cuts. But, if you heard an AIG executive was given a $200,000 bonus, you would be pissed. The same should be true here. Floridians should not be funding FSU athletics trying to get away with cheating. We shouldn't be funding their circus either, but we can only worry about one thing at a time.