South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford Admits Affair, Resigns GOP Governor’s Association

PM UPDATE: The mystery is over, with today’s announcement by South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford that he flew to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he’d been having an affair.  Sanford told a news conference that he “let down a lot of people.“ He apologized to his wife and four sons, none of whom attended his announcement.  Sanford says he’s stepping down as head of the Republican Governors Association. But he didn’t say whether he’ll leave office. Sanford had been rumored as a 2012 presidential candidate.
    Sanford says the woman in Argentina has been a friend for about eight years, but that the relationship didn’t become romantic until a little over a year ago. He says he’s seen her three times since then, and that his wife found out about it five months ago.
    Sanford said he’d spend the past five days “crying in Argentina.“ He says the affair is now over.
    When reporters first started asking questions this week about his whereabouts, Sanford’s office said he’d gone hiking on the Appalachian Trail. And his wife said she didn’t know where Sanford had gone for the Father’s Day weekend.
    Sanford’s announcement comes just one day after another man who’d apparently had a promising future in Republican politics, Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, apologized to his GOP Senate colleagues after revealing that he’d had an affair with a campaign staffer.

UPDATE: Statement from Rep. Gresham Barrett:
“We keep the Governor and his family in our prayers during this difficult time.”

UPDATE: Statement from Sen. Lindsey Graham

Statement from Senator Lindsey Graham

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement.
“I’ve been a close friend of Mark and Jenny since our election to Congress in 1994.  Like all of their friends, I want the best for their family and hope they can repair the damage.  I will provide any personal support I can.
“Jenny and Mark have four wonderful boys.  The Sanford family needs time and space to work through their challenges.  I hope they are afforded that opportunity.
“As for the future, I hope Mark will reconcile with his family and can continue serving as our state’s governor.”

UPDATE: South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he’s been having an affair with a woman from Argentina and will resign as head of the Republican Governors’ Association.  The married father of four emotionally apologized to his wife, staff and others at a news conference after returning Wednesday from a trip to Argentina that followed a dayslong absence. He staff had said the Republican was hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  Sanford says he met the woman about eight years ago and it became romantic about a year ago. He says his wife and family have known about it for the past five months.  He had been a rumored contender for the 2012 GOP ticket. He’s most recently snared headlines for his unsuccessful fight to turn aside federal stimulus cash for his state’s schools.

LIVE STREAMING: http://www.thestate.com/newsextra/story/838992.html

UPDATE: SC Gov. Mark Sanford says he’s been unfaithful to his wife with friend from Argentina.

ATLANTA (AP) - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is telling a newspaper that he was in Argentina during his unexplained 5-day absence, not hiking along the Appalachian Trail as his office previously said.  The Republican told The State newspaper in South Carolina that he arrived at the Atlanta airport Wednesday.  Sanford says he decided at the last minute to go to the South American country. The governor says he had considered hiking on the Appalachian Trail but wanted to do something “exotic.“  Sanford says he returned after a five-day absence because the trip turned into more of a fuss than he ever expected.