UPDATED: Most GOP State Senators Want SC Governor Sanford Out
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Majority of SC GOP senators want Sanford out
The growing chorus of lawmakers who've publicly announced or told The Associated Press they want the philandering governor gone reached 14 Wednesday.
The majority of South Carolina’s state Senate Republicans are calling on Gov. Mark Sanford to leave office. The growing chorus of lawmakers who’ve publicly announced or told The Associated Press they want the philandering governor gone reached 14 Wednesday. There are 27 Republicans in the Senate - a 46-member chamber the party controls.
Published: July 1, 2009
Updated: July 1, 2009
UPDATES from WSPA-TV, in Spartanburg:
**Wednesday 6:30pm Update**
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett has become the first South Carolina congressman to ask Gov. Mark Sanford to resign, saying people have lost confidence in him after his extramarital affair was revealed, the Associated Press reports
The Republican told The Associated Press he called the governor Wednesday and told him it would be best for him to quit. Barrett says Sanford can no longer be the effective leader the state needs as South Carolina’s unemployment rate tops 12 percent.
Barrett joins several fellow Republicans who have asked for the governor’s resignation after Sanford revealed new details this week in an interview with the AP about his affair with an Argentine woman. Barrett is running for governor next year. Sanford can’t run again because of term limits.
**Wednesday 4:10pm Update**
Tom Davis released the following statement:
“I came to Columbia today because I have a responsibility to the taxpayers of Beaufort County and the people of South Carolina. Obviously I have tremendous concern for my friends, Mark and Jenny Sanford and their family, but I also have a job to do as an elected official.
Before any important decision I make comes due diligence, and I owe it to my constituents to perform that due diligence before taking a public position on an issue as important as whether to call for the resignation of a duly-elected statewide official.
Accordingly, I have met today with the governor and members of his staff; I have had telephone conversations with my friend, Jenny Sanford; I have talked with the governor’s legislative supporters and opponents; and I have talked with key reform leaders who have been fighting for the issues I believe in - fiscal responsibility, limited government, market principles and individual liberty.
I am also planning on speaking today with Attorney General Henry McMaster and SLED Chief Reggie Lloyd, and am I particularly interested in learning the outcome of SLED’s review as to whether the governor has ever illegally used any state funds. I am told that review will be completed by tomorrow.
Again, this is a critical decision for the State of South Carolina and I want to rely on firsthand conversations, not media reports, rumors, political pressure or speculation.
Based on these conversations, I expect to form my official position very shortly. But I can assure you that whatever official position I ultimately reach will be one that I truly believe to be in the best interests of the people of Beaufort County in particular and the state of South Carolina in general.
In the meantime, I would encourage all South Carolinians to keep the Sanfords in their thoughts and prayers.“
**Wednesday 3:25pm Update**
South Carolina Republican Party Chairwoman Karen Floyd released the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
“For the past two days, I have been speaking with Republican leaders across South Carolina. There is clearly a growing view that the time may have come for Governor Sanford to remove himself and his family from the limelight, so that he can devote his efforts full-time to repairing the damage in his personal life.“
**Wednesday 2:50pm Update**
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The majority of South Carolina’s state Senate Republicans are calling on Gov. Mark Sanford to leave office.
The growing chorus of lawmakers who’ve publicly announced or told The Associated Press they want the philandering governor gone reached 14 Wednesday. There are 27 Republicans in the Senate - a 46-member chamber the party controls.
The tally shows the erosion of the governor’s support but has no practical effect. Any impeachment move would have to begin in the GOP-controlled House.
However, the Senate is where Sanford has drawn the most support from lawmakers. The defectors include five of his dozen closest allies. Sanford chronicled his affair with an Argentine woman in interviews with The Associated Press this week.
**Wednesday 12:50pm Update**
South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler called for the resignation of Governor Mark Sanford.
“While I believe an investigation should still be done to determine the full extent of Mark Sanford’s abuse of power, though his long stream of confessions he has already revealed enough immoral and reprehensible behavior to justify asking him to step done. State officials seem unable to do anything except worry and talk about Governor Sanford’s extramarital affair, which we learn more about every few hours. Every day that is spent not focused on the issues that matter the most to our state, particularly jobs and education, is another day that our state suffers. Every day that members of the General Assembly spend talking about Sanford’s state-funded romance is another day these Republican leaders aren’t tackling the rising unemployment numbers or the plight of our public schools. South Carolina can’t afford to be at a standstill for the next 18 months with a governor who ignores his job responsibilities while pursuing personal interests. Any other worker in South Carolina would be fired for not showing up at work with no notice.“
**Wednesday 10:45am Update**
The State newspaper has obtained three audio portions of the interview given by Governor Mark Sanford to the Associated Press on Tuesday.
Audio clips of Governor Mark Sanford interview to the Associated Press on Tuesday are below. If you are having trouble playing the audio from the link then right click on the link and select
.
“Willing to pay the price”
“Something there”
“Love Story”
***Update 10 p.m Tuesday***
South Carolina’s senate republican party leader is calling on Gov. Sanford to resign. Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler of Gaffney says Tuesday’s developments (see below) hurt the governors ability to lead the state.
NewsChannel 7 is hearing from other state lawmakers who plan to call for the same, in the coming days.
The Governor has so far, said he does not plan to resign, and is expected to be spending the next few days at the coast.
Tuesday, in an interview with the AP, Gov. Mark Sanford said he “crossed lines” with a handful of women other than his mistress, but never had sex with them. The governor says he “never crossed the ultimate line” with anyone but Maria Belen Chapur, the Argentine at the center of a scandal that has derailed Sanford’s once-promising political career.
During an emotional interview at his Statehouse office, Sanford said Chapur is his soul mate but he’s trying to fall back in love with his wife. He says that during the other encounters he “let his guard down” with some physical contact but “didn’t cross the sex line.“ He wouldn’t go into detail.
Sanford said the casual encounters happened outside the U.S. while he was married but before he met Chapur.
***Update Tuesday 6:00 p.m.***
Read WCBD-TV’s Amy Wood’s blog - “Mark Sanford: Duct Tape Anyone?“
***Update Tuesday 2:37 p.m.***
Gov. Sanford Issues Statement on SLED Involvement
Columbia, S.C. - June 30, 2009 - Governor Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on Attorney General McMaster calling for a preliminary investigation of the governor’s travel in relation to his acknowledged marital infidelity:
“We’re pleased that SLED will look into this matter,“ Gov. Sanford said. “There’s been a lot of speculation and innuendo on whether or not public moneys were used to advance my admitted unfaithfulness. 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.“
***Update Tuesday 2:00 p.m.***
Attorney General Asks SLED To Investigate Governor Sanford
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Attorney General Henry McMaster says he has requested that the State Law Enforcement Division investigate Gov. Mark Sanford after revelations involving his extramarital affair.
McMaster says he wants a review of all of Sanford’s travel records in light of Tuesday’s disclosures.
Sanford admitted to more encounters with his Argentine mistress than he previously has disclosed in an interviews with The Associated Press during the past two days.
The governor described seven meetings with the woman, including their first in 2001. Sanford says there have been five over a 12-month period, including two multi-night stays with her in New York.
It was the first disclosure of any get-togethers with her in the United States and contradicted a public confession last week during which he admitted to four encounters in the past year.
***Update Tuesday 1:25 p.m.***
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Gov. Mark Sanford admitted today he saw his Argentine mistress more times than previously disclosed.
Sanford told The Associated Press one of the trips included what was supposed to be a farewell meeting in New York chaperoned by a spiritual adviser soon after his wife found out about the affair.
Sanford described five meetings with Maria Belen Chapur over the past year, including two romantic, multi-night stays in New York before they met there again intending to break up.
He says he met her first in 2001 at an open-air dance spot in Uruguay and a coffee date in New York in 2004 during the Republican National Convention. He says neither time was romantic.
It was the first disclosure of any liaisons with Chapur in the United States. It contradicts a confession after his trip to Argentina last week.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
***Update Tuesday 11:04 a.m.***
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s admitted extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina could cost him up to $500 and a year in jail under an antiquated state law.
A state law that dates to at least 1880 says adultery is a crime, no matter where it occurred, and that adulterers “shall be severally punished.“
But constitutional attorney John Harrell of Charleston says the law hasn’t been used in decades, possibly not since 1907.
A spokeswoman for the State Law Enforcement Division says the agency can’t waste limited money on trying to prosecute or arrest Sanford on such a charge. Jennifer Timmons notes there are murderers and other violent offenders to pursue.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The majority of South Carolina’s state Senate Republicans are calling on Gov. Mark Sanford to leave office.
The growing chorus of lawmakers who’ve publicly announced or told The Associated Press they want the philandering governor gone reached 14 Wednesday. There are 27 Republicans in the Senate - a 46-member chamber the party controls.
The tally shows the erosion of the governor’s support but has no practical effect. Any impeachment move would have to begin in the GOP-controlled House.
However, the Senate is where Sanford has drawn the most support from lawmakers. The defectors include five of his dozen closest allies.
Sanford chronicled his affair with an Argentine woman in interviews with The Associated Press this week.
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