Gov. Sanford faces 37 charges. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford faces ethics charges he broke state laws 37 times by violating rules on airplane travel and campaign money. NBC's Contessa Brewer reports.
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Sanford Impeachment Hearings to Begin
Legislators irked for months over Gov. Mark Sanford's summertime vanishing act and his tearful revelation that he was in Argentina for a rendezvous with his lover plan to start debating a measure Tuesday that ultimately would remove him from office.
The Republican does face new ethics charges about his travel and campaign finances. But the seven lawmakers who comprise a panel of the House Judiciary Committee that will debate impeachment are focused solely this week on his five-day absence in June and failure to put someone in charge of the state while he was gone.
The four Republicans who co-sponsored the measure contend he was derelict in his duty and wrong to mislead staffers into thinking he was hiking the Appalachian Trail.
The measure says in part that Sanford's "conduct under these circumstances has brought extreme dishonor and shame to the Office of the Governor of South Carolina and to the reputation of the State of South Carolina." It continues that it has caused the office and state "to suffer ridicule resulting in extreme shame and disgrace."
The panel of three Democrats and four Republicans includes Chairman Jim Harrison. The Columbia Republican said Monday that later meetings will consider the 37 civil charges Sanford is facing following a three-month State Ethics Commission probe. Among other violations, Sanford is accused of using taxpayer money for high-priced airplane tickets that took him around the world and to Argentina.
Sanford's attorney said the governor looks forward to answering the "technical questions" regarding his travel and finances at a commission hearing early next year. The civil charges carry a maximum $74,000 in fines.
Sanford has been under scrutiny and pressure to step down since admitting to an extramarital affair with the woman he has called his "soul mate." He has never revealed the identity of a so-called "back channel" senior administration official the governor contends could have reached him in an emergency. Sanford's state e-mail and phone records show he was not in touch with his office while abroad.
If the impeachment measure passes the panel, it would head to the full Judiciary Committee. From there it would need a majority vote of the 25 members to get it to the House floor in January for debate. A two-thirds vote in favor would result in Sanford's suspension.
The Senate, acting as jury, then would decide whether Sanford would be removed from office, which would also require a two-thirds vote. His second and final term ends in January 2011.
The ethics probe came after a series of Associated Press investigations showed the governor had for years used state airplanes for political and personal trips, flown in pricey commercial airline seats despite a low-cost travel requirement and failed to disclose trips on planes owned by friends and donors. The State of Columbia newspaper also questioned whether Sanford properly reimbursed himself from his campaign cash.
"We are confident that we will be able to address each of these questions, none of which constitutes findings of guilt and none of which we believe rise anywhere near to the traditional standard of impeachment," Sanford attorney Butch Bowers said Monday.
Even some lawmakers who have called for Sanford to quit questioned whether the charges are weighty enough to cut short the governor's tenure.
"If it's relatively minor ethics violations, I don't believe there will be sentiment there to remove the governor," said House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham, R-Cayce.
But state Sen. Larry Martin said the charges shouldn't be downplayed. He derided the notation from Sanford's lawyers that the charges came from a small percentage of the total flights and records examined by the commission.
"Most bank robbers have been in and out of banks hundreds of times but only rob it once," said Martin, R-Pickens,
The first lady and the couple's four sons moved out of the governor's mansion. While the Sanfords have said they were trying to reconcile, Jenny Sanford more recently has described the two as separated.
Sanford accused of 37 Ethics violations
The S.C. Ethics Commission has charged Gov.Mark Sanford with breaking state ethics laws 37 times - including using state planes for family trips, spending campaign funds on a hunting trip, and flying first class, instead of coach, while on state travel.
The commission, which last week wrapped up its preliminary, three-month investigation into allegations against the embattled governor, made the charges public Monday.
The commission's findings have been eagerly awaited by legislators, who are deciding whether to oust Sanford from office before his term ends in January 2011.
An S.C. House subcommittee will consider an impeachment resolution for the first time today.
The Ethics Commission charges allege:
Sanford flew business or first class 18 times between 2005 and 2009 on state business. That included travel to Europe, Asia and South America. State law requires officials to choose the most economical fare unless there is an urgent reason to do otherwise.
Sanford used state aircraft for personal travel nine times between 2005 and 2008, including a book signing, a birthday party for a contributor, a son's sporting event and a family getaway to Georgia.
On 10 occasions, Sanford took money from his campaign account, donated by supporters, and improperly spent it on personal uses, including an Irish hunting trip and a GOP governors meeting in Miami. The money in question, a total of $2,940.68, was spent between 2006 and 2009.
Sanford was cleared by the commission for failing to report private plane trips given to him by friends and political allies. Sanford's attorney told the commission the governor will disclose all of the trips. "With this amendment ... Gov. Sanford will have complied, albeit late, with the filing requirements" of state law, the commission said.
The charges against Sanford will be aired at a hearing of a three-member Ethics Commission panel, to be held sometime in January.
During that hearing, Sanford's attorneys will mount his defense.
The governor's lawyers have characterized the accusations as technical and minor.
Sanford's attorney, Butch Bowers, said Monday: "We are confident that we will be able to address each of these questions, none of which constitutes findings of guilt and none of which we believe rise anywhere near to the traditional standard of impeachment. We look forward to working with the commission and resolving this matter."
Ultimately, the commissioners - appointed by Sanford but confirmed by the state Senate - will vote on whether Sanford is guilty of the ethics violations. Sanford could be cleared or fined up to $74,000.
Sanford also could face criminal charges.
A spokesman said Monday that S.C. Attorney general Henry McMaster is reviewing the Ethics Commission report to determine whether charges are warranted.
Impeachment talks
The governor faces trouble on another front, as well.
Today, a subcommittee of House lawmakers will hold their first meeting to discuss impeaching the governor.
Four House members introduced a bill last week to oust the governor from office, saying he abandoned the state for five days in June to secretly visit his lover in Argentina.
Abandoning his duties is grounds for impeachment, no matter the ethics charges, state Rep. Greg Delleney, R-Chester, said Monday.
"What matters to me," Delleney said, "is his absence from the state without giving anyone notice and being AWOL for five days, leaving no established chain of command or protocol for the exercise of the executive authority of the state and his preconceived deceit and cover-up of his whereabouts using his staff, who are state employees, to mislead public officials of South Carolina and the public of South Carolina. That, coupled with the shame and disgrace he brought to the reputation of South Carolina."
Sanford has brushed off calls to resign from GOP House members and senators, who control the Legislature, saying he has not broken any laws and has been a good steward of taxpayer money.
Flying first class
Four of the first- or business- class flights cited by the Ethics Commission involved a 2008 state Commerce Department trip to Brazil.
Sanford, a married, two-term governor, asked the economic development trip be extended to include Argentina, where he saw his lover.
The governor has reimbursed the state $3,300 for the Argentine part of the trip. He has said he spent no other tax money to see his lover, whom he first met in 2001 at an open-air dance spot in Uruguay and has called his "soul mate."
The governor's defenders also have said previous governors flew first class on the state's dime. However, the commission says two of those governors used private money to pay for more expensive tickets.
In the Ethics Commission report released Monday, the state Commerce Department was cited as saying it is a long-held practice that top state officials fly business class on international trips so they can arrive rested.
But the commission fired back that, in many instances, Sanford had a day to recover before any meetings. He also flew business class to return to Columbia.
Sanford's defenders also have said the state Comptroller General's office signed off on the tickets and the Legislative Audit Council never objected to them.
However, the Ethics Commission said the comptroller's office did "not second guess" decisions, instead paying "the bills which are submitted." The Audit Council told the commission it did not look into airfares.
Personal trips
The Ethics Commission also charges Sanford misused state aircraft to fly to political events, including an Anderson County GOP dinner, a Republican House caucus reception in Greenville and the Aiken birthday party of a campaign contributor.
The commission also cited a number of flights on state planes as personal, violating state law, including:
A 2006 flight from North Myrtle Beach to Columbia, after which Sanford got a haircut.
A 2006 trip by Sanford and his family to Georgia from West Virginia for a "personal weekend."
A 2007 flight from North Myrtle Beach to Columbia for Sanford to attend a son's sporting event.
A 2008 flight to Myrtle Beach - with his wife and son - for the opening of the Hard Rock Park entertainment complex.
Sanford has denied using state aircraft for personal reasons. For example, he said he gets his hair cut at a discount chain that does not accept reservations, meaning he had no reason to fly back to Columbia for a trim.
Campaign cash
The commission also charges, on 10 occasions, Sanford reimbursed himself for personal expenses out of campaign money.
These reimbursements violate state ethics law because they were not related to Sanford's campaign or duties as governor, the commission said.
Also, Sanford failed to provide receipts for the expenses. Ethics rules require a campaign to keep receipts dating back five years.
The expenses include $864.90 for a 2008 Republican governors meeting in Miami and a hunting trip to Dublin, Ireland.
Reach Gina Smith at 803-771-8658.
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Sources: TIME, The State, MSNBC, McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, Google Maps
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