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GOVERNOR: SLED REVIEW WILL ‘PUT QUESTIONS TO REST’
Following new revelations about Mark Sanford’s affair with an Argentinian woman, South Carolina’s attorney general has requested a State Law Enforcement Division investigation of the governor’s travel records.
“In light of the governor’s disclosure of additional travel today, I have requested that SLED conduct a preliminary review of all Governor Sanford’s travel records to determine if any laws have been broken or any state funds misused,” Attorney General Henry McMaster said in a statement.
Sources told The Palmetto Scoop that “nothing is off the table” in the investigation.
In a statement to reporters, the governor said he was “pleased that SLED will look into this matter” as he feels the review will clear his name of any misuse of taxpayer funds.
“There’s been a lot of speculation and innuendo on whether or not public moneys were used to advance my admitted unfaithfulness,” Sanford said. “To be very clear: no public money was ever used in connection with this. We believe the best way to put those questions to rest once and for all is for SLED to ask these questions, and we plan on cooperating fully.”
Sanford revealed to the Associated Press Tuesday that he had visited his mistress Maria Belen Chapur five times in the last year including two romantic weekends in New York.
In the exclusive AP interview, the governor added that he “crossed lines” with women other than Chapur but never had sex with them. Sanford called Chapur his soul mate, but noted he was working to rekindle his relationship with his wife.
Photo: AP
Adam:
Since our conversation yesterday, it looks like we are all getting on the same page!
Good news.
Rick Beltram
Cash for hotel rooms? uh uh uh …that was my fault.
Sir, did you you mislead your staff? uh uh uh …that was my fault.
Cash for airline tickets? uh uh uh …that was my fault.
Sir, I thought you said you only met with your mistress three times? Sir, now you are saying seven? Sir. what gives? uh uh uh …that was my fault.
Sir, I understand that last year you were on a trade mission in Argentina, but now we understand that you were just having a rendezvous with Ms. Chapur at the Buenos Aires Hilton, what’s up with that? uh uh uh …that was my fault, I’ll give that money back!
Sir, you admitted today of having inappropriate sexual relationships with several other women, but you claim that you never had sex with? uh uh uh …that was my fault.
Sir, do you have anything else that you need to tell us? uh uh uh …NO! I paid cash for everything else …uh uh uh so
uh uh uh …that’s about it.
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Sanford says he ‘crossed lines’ in marriage
Details emerge from 1995 trip
…information surfaced that he had a romantic interlude as early as 1995 on an official congressional trip to Chile.
But people familiar with one such encounter said the governor had a brief romance with an American businesswoman in June 1995 while he was traveling in Latin America on a congressional trade mission trip.
…the then-freshman congressmen met a woman during a dinner hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile, and later arranged a private, romantic encounter with her while in Chile. The woman was led to believe that Mr. Sanford was unmarried, and when she found out later that he had a wife, she had no further contact with him, the sources said.
Congressional records show that as a congressman in 1995, Mr. Sanford traveled to Argentina, Brazil and Chile from May 30 to June 5 on a trade mission
Records show that Mr. Sanford did not take his wife on the trade mission, although other members of the committee did -each paying separately for their expenses.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/01/sanford-says-he-crossed-lines-in-marriage/
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“And he delivered a personal check late Tuesday for nearly $3,000 to reimburse the state for a 2008 state-funded trip to Argentina during which he visited Chapur”
Three thousand dollars is not nearly enough. By the way, how did he come up with that figure? uh uh uh …let’s see …hmm, I wonder if I can get away with only giving back two-thousand …no no no ..uh uh uh how about twenty-five hundred? …uh..uh uh uh …I know, three thousand dollars will keep everyone quiet …that’s it! three thousand! Will you take three-thousand? Take it! Take it! …that’s the least I can do! …even-stevens, right? we good? yeah man we good! you’re good and I’m good and everybody’s good … wew, I’m glad that’s taken care of.
Now, by the way, there are other women, lots of them. Now, listen, I need to settle up on this one. While I have my check book out and I’m writing checks, how much do I need to write this check for? uh uh uh …now, keep in mind, I didn’t have sex with any of them …uh uh uh …now remember that, I crossed the line uh ..uh uh but not very far, okay? uh uh uh
Now, as far as Chapur, were cool on that one because she is my soul-mate, got that? SOUL-MATE!
We be cool, hey hey hey …does anyone know if I have any frequent flyer miles left? I would really like to Argentina about now, just to blow off a little steam with the boys you know, with this stressful job and all ….uh uh uh …will someone please get Delta SkyMiles people on the phone? …hurry …hurry up!
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GOP senators’ request for Sanford to resign
S.C. majority leader Harvey Peeler, Senate finance chairman Hugh Leatherman, and four other Republican state senators released the following statement Tuesday calling on Gov. Mark Sanford to resign.
“Crisis requires people in leadership positions to act decisively, with as much dispassionate wisdom and judgment as possible.
Governor Sanford has imposed a crisis upon our state. As members of the Senate, we have a duty to the people of South Carolina to do what is in their best interests.
We therefore have concluded that Governor Mark Sanford must resign his office. He has lost the trust of the people and the legislature to lead our state through historically difficult times.
South Carolina has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Tens of thousands of South Carolinians cannot find jobs.
Necessary budget cuts have weakened public education and other vital services.
We must have strong leadership from a Governor who is focused and trusted.
Governor Sanford is neither.
We did not reach this conclusion in haste and we did not base it on his personal failings, but events since his news conference have forced us to act.
The recent revelation that he used taxpayer money to visit Argentina demonstrates that our state crisis will not recede while he is in office.
His own Commerce Department acknowledges the Governor requested additional economic development meetings in Argentina while on a legitimate trade mission to South America.
The Governor, through his spokesmen, deceived the media and public about where he was and what he was doing for several days.
He abandoned his office and the people who elected him with a premeditated cover-up, launching a constitutional crisis that was dangerous and reckless.
These disclosures indicate a pattern of abuse of office. Most disturbing is our belief that the Governor only admitted to these transgressions after he was caught.
The Governor’s family crisis is private and tragic. But the crisis the Governor imposed by his abuse of office is the people’s business and must come to an end.
We can only put this crisis behind us if he does the honorable thing and resign immediately.
The bottom line is that the Governor’s private matters should remain private, but his deception and negligence make it impossible for us to trust him, and for him to govern in the future.”
- Harvey S. Peeler, Majority Leader, South Carolina Senate
- Hugh K. Leatherman, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee
- Paul Campbell Jr., Senator, Berkeley County
- John M. “Jake” Knotts Jr., Chairman, Invitation Committee
- Larry A. Martin, Chairman, Senate Rules Committee
- William H. O’Dell, Senator, Abbeville County
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Is the gov. using c-list Adam?
Gov. Sanford needs to stop talking and start working on the problems that face this state. He still has that office and is still obligated to the people who elected him. The sniping and grandstanding for this and that agenda from the public and media are simple minded and tiring. Now is the time for some grit.
GO AWAY MARK SANFRAUD