Sanford To Reimburse State For Trip To Argentina

In a statement, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said that he would reimburse the state for a trip to Argentina on which he met with his mistress.

"As noted by the Department of Commerce, I attended a trade mission with the Department of Commerce last June. As the agenda notes, the mission was spent meeting with government and private business officials in both Brazil and Argentina. This trip was handled very professionally by the Department of Commerce, and I'm proud of their work there.

"However, while the purpose of this trip was an entirely professional and appropriate business development trip, I made a mistake while I was there in meeting with the woman who I was unfaithful to my wife with. That has raised some very legitimate concerns and questions, and as such I am going to reimburse the state for the full cost of the Argentina leg of this trip," Gov. Sanford said.

According to documents released by the state Department of Commerce on Thursday, the state paid $8,644.03 in airfare alone for the trip -- more than $9,000 altogether.

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[Nomccain]

Well, DUH! That's the very least he could do! This man must be dumb as a sack of rocks to try and pull off what he did. If this is the kind of mind the Republicans were considering as a viable candidate for POTUS in 2012, they are indeed in deep crap. Are there any viable candidates left that aren't convicted crooks or adulterers? They're falling like flies and so is their party's reputation.

[AirForce Vet]

Nomccain, by the way, there is the Aurora Borealis Princess from the Great White North. Princess Sarah Palin is still available, but I don’t know if she viable or reliable.(humor)

[dst1]

NO, NO, NO.

[ThankGodhesgone]

I don't really care about his affair, other than he's a typical 'pro family values, pro-marriage hypocritcal zealot and met his mistress on Father's Day (way to go Famly Values guy).

I do care that he left the state without any supposed representation, tried to deny his constituants needed stimulus money and all the while, spent tax payer money on his trips to see his mistress.

This is dereliction of duty - resign already.

[FeministWithAttitude]

Time to repay this last week's pay, too.

[Fenom]

Only now does he want to repay money from a trip he took last year to Argentina. If this trist had not come out, the Governor would have gotten his "freak on" at tax payer expense. Kinda like robbing a bank and wanting to return the money only because you got caught. Stealing is stealing! (Maybe the rules are different if you are of the GOP)

[jsj20002]

Governor Sanford should not be allowed to simply repay the cost of the trip to Argentina. Just like Governor Sarah Palin should, Governor Sanford should face criminal charges if he falsified his travel expense claims. Since the side trip to Argentina was arranged by federal officials, and since the side trip may have been paid for in whole or in part from federal funds, he may have committed federal violations as well as state violations. He cannot absolve himself of the crimes of misappropriation of public monies and fraudulent claims by simply repaying the money. Anything less than a full criminal investigation is an abuse of the many hardworking state and federal civil servants who would lose their jobs and face prosecution if they decided to abuse the public trust in a similar manner.

[Wiseronenow]

Regardless of his p,i,c.a.d.i.l.l.o.'s, the content of the emails he sent, and even not upholding his marriage vows, what really gets me with all this, is that as a governor he denied his people the necessary money from the STIM plan while he purposefully was derelict in his duties as governor. That shows just a fundmental disregard for the office he holds.

[mapleaforever]

I may not be much more than a dog's breakfast as a human being but I would never cheat on my wife.

Why is it that people who are trusted with the most responsibility by others think it's no big deal? He should resign, and now. After that, let the corruption charges fly.

[CR46]

I bet you are a wonderful person. Ethics, morals, deep convictions for your marriage vows, and the love you have for your wife. Sounds like a pretty good guy to me :)

[Heavy]

Yeah, but it's my wife he's being so loyal to.
Just kidding. =)

[DaveRhodeIsland]

Why is any of this a surprise to any of us? We elect who we deserve, and unfortunately most people are ignorant, uneducated on the issues, and easily fooled. Hence, we elect the Sanfords, Bushes, Spitzers, Craigs, etc. of the world. I lay the blame on we, the people.

[VotingPresent]

It's not like he drove off a bridge and drowned his mistress.

[bluessss82]

Or caused the deaths of 4000 innocent American soldiers by starting a wholly unnecessary war in Iraq....tsk tsk!

[mapleaforever]

Any WWII analogies to go with that?

[Heavy]

No, that would be called a driving accident in very cold water. Do you have a brain?

[escobar]

The man who the GOP was polishing up to be President.
Full of personal responsibility slogans and cutting unnecessary government spending.
Then he takes taxpayer money to go live it up with his girlfriend.
He is so typical of Republican double think.
There is no money, taxes shouldn't be raised on those who have, yet he feels free to take State money to buy a lousy ticket so he can go get his bone gnawed on and ego flattered.
A rich man, too cheap buy his own ticket, steals it.
A guy like him could buy the trip with his pocket change.
He is an embezzeler.
Who cares if he cheats on his wife?
Good thing he isn't poor or he would be fighting to stay out of prison, not crying about his hurt feelings like a despicable weakiling.
If he were a cashier in a school cafeteria and took the lunch money to go party, he would be fired o the spot.
His cry baby act is designed to distract people from the fact he embezzeled money and got away with it, until he pulled a nutty and disappeared.
I sure don't care about his wife or which of those dirt bags sleep with each other.
They all look like they stink.
I'd bet his wife and old girlfriend really don't give a damn who he screws.
His weakling act makes me sick.

[Wiseronenow]

F.o.r.e.i.g.n country, f.o.r.e.i.g.n b.a.b.e, sandy beaches, sun, water, etc. etc. and all under the wire, away from p.r.y.i.n.g eyes of the press. The perfect scenario. And, if he could have continued it, he would have, and as long as could. He ran into a problemo when his wife found out. Other than that, and if his behavior wasn't so e.r.r.a.t.i.c. and more importantly, his efforts with regards to not taking the STIM money worked, his b.r.o.t.h.e.r.h.o.o.d. buddies would have continued to look the other way with all this. But, he d.r.o.p.p.e.d. the ball in that regard. Didn't pay his dues so to speak for them to continue c.o.v.e.r.i.n.g for him.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Going to Argentina pretty much guarantees an anonymity he wouldn't get anywhere in North America.

[VOTER]

No comments from Family Values, John McCain, Lindsey Graham and other Rethugs.

Hmmm

[greysells2]

from Voter - "No comments from Family Values, John McCain, Lindsey Graham and other Rethugs. Hmmm"

Shows how principled they are. If it was a Democrat, they would be all over the story. So they too gulp down their hypocracy while they wait for this to blow over and Sanford is back in the fold with his band of brothers.

[hackerblaster]

How many trips did he take that he will need to reimburse?

[keepemhonest]

Notice he is only repaying for plane ticket & lodging .... what about all the taxpayer $$$$ he spent ON his mistress?

[dst1]

He said he saw her three times in the last year, so there you go, three.

[Wiseronenow]

So, let's recap. One, it was known in Washington circles of Sanford's activities way before ANY of this hit the news. Two, Sanford staff KNEW where he was and why, if for nothing else his trip was booked prior and for 10 days. Three, they KNEW the Appalachia story was bogus "when they gave it", all of them, including the wife. Four, they ALL were covering for him. Five, he KNEW the firestorm he would face upon his return. He wasn't surprised even though while saying not. Six, he KNEW he'd have to fess up on his return and give a news conference. Seven, he KNOWS he will have to weather this storm out over the next couple of weeks and if it d.i.e.s down enough he is good to go. Seven, if it doesn't, and he has been made well aware of that by the b.r.o.t.h.e.r.h.o.o.d., then he is already planning what he is going to do once he is made to leave office. So, let's not make this into some sort of epic love story, but it is what it is. It's nothing more than a Gov thought he could continue with getting some Argentinian n.o.o.k.y. and as long as he could.

[havegonedc]

Welcome to Washington DC.

[keepemhonest]

Sanford is NOT in DC -- he is a governor of a state.

[slats]

Once again we see another do as I say not as I do Republiliar.