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.

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Comments

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Good thing his legislature override him on the unemployment extension stimulus money, because he's not long for his office. The Family Research Council has already written him off.

[american-dolt]

The rich and famous, Government Officials, Pro Athletes, live in a different world. The rest of us would go to jail....they get to pay it back. Time for Revolution.

[grace14]

Standford has he not lied? Has Standford not stolen? Has Standford not committed adultry? Has Stanford not covet his neigbour goods ( the people Standfords leads, stolen their, our money?) Has Stanford not worshiped his flesh first and not G*& first? Please...republicans cry they are christians please--- more like wolves in sheep clothing

....we cannot get full Health Care with "OUR" own tax dollars they collect in Sales Tax revenues and we pay for all American cost our needs..military you name it..going to the moon etc..Who is stealing from who?...who is getting feed by our socialism to them? Who are the liars? Who do not pay their fair share of taxes? Who are the real greedy worshippers of wealth first money as their god? Who are the takers of our goods?

[kbkw54]

He left the state without anyone in charge. He used State money to pay for his trip. Why is he still in office??

[DRicha8374]

My sentiments exactly!

[bluessss82]

~~~~~Bingo!~~~~ The sleazy b@stard should follow his own advice to others and resign immediately

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Rush is telling his ditto head listeners that President's Obama's radical socialist agenda drove Mark Sparkly Sanford to leave the country for a break. Dose Rush's "ditto head" base actually buy this fantasy. Sanford admits that this affair started several years ago and his wife knew about it, Mark Sanford acted like a adolescent kid with a crush, the little head telling the big head what to do. Rush is saying that the stimulus package forced on the poor governor forced him to drop out for a few days, I guess that depends what stimulus your taking about. I've always thought that Rush's true genius is taking complete bullsh#t and spinning in what sounds like common sense, for his listeners that is.

[whiskeytangofoxtrot451]

Rush's ditto heads will believe whatever he says and repeat it as if it were the solemn truth. They have no capacity for independent thought and therefore, couldn't question anything he says even if they wanted to.

[rabiddog6708]

Ru$h and his listeners do not care about facts or that Sanford began his affair before Obama was President. Tossing facts at them is pointless. They are delusional and beyond debating or reasoning with.

[grace14]

to late if he never got caught and played this out for a long time his game...we would never of known. that is stealing plain and simple.....stealing from his own people he has been entrusted to lead......Thou shall not steal..no bits or butt...bottom line...no excuse period ...he knew it and did it...need to start labeling it for what is is in all things and stop using soothsaying words..Are you a liar? Thou shall "not" steal..means just that

...we put people in prison for stealing, do they get to come out and say oh well I will pay for it now.....I am not going to prison now I will pay for..hello that is why only G*& is our judge for there is no true justice at all..on earth....J&* us said:" I was in prison and you came to visit me." hypocrites and fools

[DRicha8374]

You are so Right!

[totaldisbelief]

So now we are even "out-sourcing" our Affairs?

[SurrealPumpkin]

LOL

[bayside]

He stole a car, didnt tell anyone where he was going in his job leaving it rudderless, stole the money from the taxpayers to finance a 10 day trip for a lovers tryst (He says) ..and why, because he was forced to take the stimulus money to help the unemployed in his state, couldnt pay his bills with it, had to help the people.He really ,really did not want to help those people in his state..Reminds me of a little boy throwing a temper tantrum..This needs to be pros.just like it would be if we did it..

[DRicha8374]

LOL

[Tsar Bomba]

To a conservative, this qualifies a person for a promotion if he's a fellow member of their club. Take your pick, conservative judge, lobbyist, senator, maybe even president.

[nick1936]

Let's see the trip was planned to see his mistress for a roll in the sack and he used tax payers money to do it using the cover of an official trip for the state. It appears that not only is he a cheater on his wife and family but that he is also a crook . Would the law allow a bank robber to give the money back after he got caught in lew of prosecution

[DRicha8374]

No!

[SurrealPumpkin]

Yes, and then they'd throw his butt in jail.

[solarian]

when and I want see the receipt

[themainpoint]

Since this sort of thing or worse could be publicized about many politicians, but if there are no accidents, then Sanford was singled out for a downfall. So IMO, the only important questions this story raises are:

How were the emails obtained? The Obama administration has yet to say whether they have changed anything when it comes to continuing Bush's unconstitutional spying on the emails and phone calls of American citizens.

Was it someone in the government who anonymously gave those emails to the newspaper? If not, who? And where is the proof? (I just don't buy that a governor who was cautious enough to not tell his own staff where he was would be careless enough to give that staff any access to whatever email address he used to talk to her; that's just inconsistent)

Is it possible that this was a political take down b/c this man didn't want to take the stimulus money?

Did Sanford use any taxpayer funds for this affair?

[totaldisbelief]

so you are saying that someone planted the girlfriend and twisted Sanford's (thing) into this situation? or just questioning how he got caught and how the emails surfaced? I do wonder how the emails surfaced. But he shot himself in the foot; he wasn't assassinated, just like Spitzer.
Uncle Bob once said .."to live outside the Law you must be honest"
Any public figure must assume everyone is watching all the time and any misstep will be used against you...that's like a rule.

[whiskeytangofoxtrot451]

Do you seriously believe that? Or are you just trying to spin things to blame it all on Obama like Rush did?

[Leota2]

It seems Sanford did use taxpayer funds. He manipulated a trip to Brazil to end up in Argentina. As
far as the emails are concerned--more than likely one of his aids found out about his hypocrisy. It's usually someone close who outs people. It's incredibly easy to hack someone's email. And let's face it --who knows more than wives about pols than their staff. And Sanford was NOT cautious. He was reckless. He actually had tickets for ten days and thought he wouldn't be missed in SC--leaving the state unattended.

[Leota2]

Also--I believe the newspaper got the emails in December. There was no working stim and I don't believe the current administration cared about Mark Sanford in 2008 or had any power. So--you and Rush are gonna have to go elsewhere with the paranoia.

[richardpatrick]

Who'd u thunk it ? The real enemy of traditional marriage and "family values" is not gay marriage after all; its adultury ! Go figure. The Gov must now turn to the Good Book for guidance; specifically the Republican Party Politicians Manual Chapter 28 entitled "How to Publicly Find Jesus After Getting Caught With Your Pants Down".

[totaldisbelief]

good one

[DRicha8374]

I like That!

[BPCentrisAmerican]

It's also a rotten economy, under-education, substance abuse, marrying to young and unwanted children, problems that are alive and well in red state American.

[tomasedison]

Gee Newt has been strangely quiet the past few days. Cat got your tongue Newt ? You know all about cheating, anything to say ?

[edtheengineer]

Newt is probably happy. While attention is diverted by Stanfordized, he can use the opportunity to have another affair which we won't learn about until some years from now.

[VOTER]

Where are the far-righters?

When Sanford made his trip to Argentina last year, he did so
at his own request and it was AGAINST US POLICY!

Maybe if we continue with Fox's error and print Sanford is a Dem,
the far-righters will wake up and scream for his resignation.

[PCdoc]

And R ush said it's all Obama's fault, even though he wasn't even President at the time. Amazing

[SurrealPumpkin]

Just goes to show how powerful Obama is. He IS The One, you know.

[jjgg5]

Mama Gump said it best: "Stupid is, as stupid does". The consequences fall where they may.

[damebee]

Oh for Christ's sake if you're in love or love this woman get a divorce and get on with your life, cut the crap, people fall in or out of their spouses, be a man and cut the whining and get on with it!

[totaldisbelief]

But he'd have to climb off the Gravy Train to do that ...what an awful choice !