Maria Chapur Speaks: Argentine Woman Admits Sanford Relationship

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — A 41-year-old Argentine former reporter acknowledged having a relationship with South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, saying Sunday that widely published e-mail correspondence between the two was obtained from her account without permission.

In a brief statement sent to news network C5n of Buenos Aires, Maria Belen Chapur said she will not talk about her private life, which has already been the focus of intense media scrutiny in the United States and Argentina.

"I have decided to send this statement to clear up certain incorrect things that are being reported and put an end to a matter that, as you imagine, is very painful to me, my two children, my entire family and close friends."

Chapur said someone accessed her Hotmail account without permission late last year and leaked e-mail correspondence that described a relationship with Sanford to the South Carolina newspaper The State.

But she denied the "hacker" is a friend of hers _ as has been widely reported here _ saying he is as much a victim of the media frenzy as she.

"I have a strong suspicion of who is responsible for this evil act that was directed at me but also destroyed the lives of so many others," Chapur said. "But without sufficient proof, and for legal reasons, I am obligated to not reveal the name.

"It is not for me to judge anyone. I leave it all in the hands of God," she concluded.

The statement was addressed to C5n anchor Eduardo Feinman, who read it on camera. Feinman was Chapur's editor when she worked briefly as a television reporter in 2001.

It was widely reported that Chapur was Sanford's mistress after the governor admitted to the relationship following a secret trip to Argentina earlier this month.

But he did not identify Chapur.

Reporters staked out Chapur's building in an upper-class neighborhood in the Argentine capital for days trying to locate her, and pressed for information from neighbors and the owner of a bar she reportedly visited with Sanford.

People who know Chapur describe her as an elegant, well-mannered, soft-spoken woman who speaks several languages. She is a graduate in political science from the Catholic University of Buenos Aires and the divorced mother of two sons.

Heber Alvarez, a doorman at her building, said she often rises early for morning jogs through the neighborhood.

Comments

[breakingrocks]

I must admit that you can fall in love on the internet very easily. This woman is attractive and I know that Sanford's marriage had problems. This does not justify leaving the country without letting people know your whereabouts if you are an elected official. leaving on Father's Day weekend shows bad jusdgement as well.

[hortonhearsdawho]

don't admit anything without your attorney present...

[rock2casbah]

You must have "fallen in love" on the internet then.

[b1rd67]

"I have a strong suspicion of who is responsible for this evil act that was directed at me but also destroyed the lives of so many others,"

Yes, it was the hacking of your email that destroyed lives, not sleeping with a married man.... you're the victim... riiiiiigghhtt!

[Beard]

Let''s see. It is evil to reveal that someone is committing adultery. Yet, it is not evil to commit adultery. They have hypocritocal, right wing, realigious zealots in Argentina too. Yeah, let's let God handle this one. What a joke!!!

[CR46]

This bringing up God is just a way for both Mark Sanford and Maria to both NOT take responsibility for their own actions. How pitiful can any adult be.

[rock2casbah]

Why not use God's name in vain,? It goes right along with the whole hypocrisy spiel the repubs tout every time you look around.

[hortonhearsdawho]

can we get a tony orlando and dawn rendition of maria....

[Halfling67]

Does this mean Maria was two-timing too?
This is getting better and better.

[MadHeart]

Of course she was--she asked him for "marital" advice according to him. Two people with zero ethics.

[hortonhearsdawho]

gotta be a country and western song in their somewhere.­..

[paixa3]

I hope no one gets run over by a damned old pick up truck....D­avid Allen Coe(?)....

[Cookie100]

Gabisol wrote:
I think that we are criticizing the lack of empathy towards Chapur as a woman in love. This article is about her and the commenters are crucifing her. She did not violate any duty of loyalty towards her family or voters. She didn't spend the money of tax payers. Her only sin was to fall in love with an hypocrite man. She's not the first woman who made that mistake.

The governor and his wife, as a couple of hipocrites, should not receive any kind of empathy. None of the two.

I don't begrudge anyone falling in love, but Sanford WANTED TO GET CAUGHT. All he had to do was tell the Lieut. Gov he was taking a week off, that's all!

Now, if you are the Cheif Executive of anything, a corporation or a state, you probably should tell someone when you're leaving.

Just think, if he had told the Lieut. Gov, 'you're in charge', you and I wouldn't be talking about this.

Fall in love with this woman, I don't care. But, you better stop and think how you have told others doing the same thing to resign immediately!

That's what Ensign and Sanford have both done in the past. That's why people are exasperated, the hypocrisy of it all.

Sanford wants out, let him go. I've been to Buenos Aires, it's a fantastic place. Let them be in love, actually, I like him a lot better now, just not the hypocrisy

[felisa11]

I do believe that he wanted to get caught or was just incredibly stupid to think he would get away with it, he is a repug afterall and they are not known for their intelligence.

[HotheadPaisen]

I think the word we're looking for herie is hubris.

[mgeb2000]

Lack of empathy for a woman in love? OH PLEASE! Why are you excusing her role in this mess?

Both Chapur and Sanford are equally selfish and irresponsible people who did not think of their children, family and friends. An affair with a public figure will be discovered and will be played out in public. This is exactly what has happened, and to call foul when it does, is dishonest. For them to think that they would never be discovered by the media in this day and age is naïve.

As media herself, she should know better than most that there would be media frenzy given that he is a prominent politician. Instead of blaming everyone else she needs to look in the mirror. In addition, in Sanford's case, he didn't think of the voters of his state and his responsibility in case of an emergency. They played a selfish game without caring who was hurt, and they both deserve all that comes their way, both personally and professionally.

BOTH are adults who made poor choices and who now are now reaping the consequences of their actions. No sympathy here for EITHER party!

[Thirdstone]

Wall eye?

Just asking.

[mydoglucky]

" I will leave it in the hands of God" God must be throwing his hands up in the air as his name is, IMHO, being taken in vein over and over again. These "christians" seem to think because their God is so forgiving, they can just go on their merry way cheating again and again.

[rockyb26]

great post. these people are shameful for talking the talk but not walking the walk. true christians understand that no man/woman is perfect and that we all fall short of the ideal. they also understand the concept of not throwing stones when you live in a glass house. gov sanford and this chick clearly don't

[AnnfromCA]

The statement says it all, doesn't it? It's the fault of the hacker that the affair ended. She's quite a piece of work.

[hortonhearsdawho]

so, u gonna make a run for the governor now...

[Witchitalineman]

I agree.

[MadHeart]

It hasn't ended; just put on hold. Guess "god" did that for them, eh?

[AnnfromCA]

I agree. It's not over.

[felisa11]

if you ask me JENNY sanford is to one responsible for sending those emails,

She knew and she was understandably furious. I do not know why they just won't admit it. I would have more respect for her than I do now, because she sounds pathetic and clingy, that's not pretty.

[felisa11]

by the way, Mark sanford is a lying, lowdown hypocrite who Jenny should have b*tch slapped him when he asked permission to see his $lut

[AnnfromCA]

Her statement hints at just that, which is deliberate. I notice she has no proof. Probably she has no idea, but the mistress was just publicly dumped for the wife. That tends to upset that type when the guy does go back to the wife.

[hortonhearsdawho]

the voice of experience there ?

[SF13]

I don't think his wife really wants him back. Who would ? Asking to see the mistress ?????????????? Forget a separation just get a divorce.

[rockyb26]

i felt she was not so subtly implicating mrs. sanford too. if that's true, i like mrs. sanford even more

[RedDogBear]

And you base all this deep analysis on what exactly? HOW do you know that Jenny Sanford sent the emails? I agree its possible. It could also have been one of his older kids or a jealous ex boy friend of Maria, or some curios system administrator anywhere between South Carolina and Argentina who saw emails related to Mark Sanford and decided to take a peek (this should be a lesson to anyone who thinks emails are secure, they aren't, and I'm not just talking about NSA there are countless technical people who can get access to email from standard systems like hotmail).

But back to felissa's comment. Why are you so anxious to start heaping scorn on a woman you've never met who has never done you any harm?

[felisa11]

read again. I said i "believe" that.

But going by jen's actions and statements, it is getting easier to draw that conclusion.

Jen said, " He was told not to go to Argentina", or what?

Sounds like a threat to me.

[MadHeart]

It could have even been her own kids; they are 15 and 19. If they went on the computer and found the emails...m­aybe turned them over to their father or a family friend?

[felisa11]

true that. but jen is the one that is doing all the interviews when she should be "working" on her failure of a marriage. why isn't she?

[rockyb26]

"a matter that, as you imagine, is very painful to me, my two children, my entire family and close friends."

huh? if it was so painful, why were you participating? i can't stand how people caught with their pants around their ankles blame the people around them for the spectacle. you pulled your own pants down!!!! don't blame passers by for checking you out. just pull them up and walk away.

[ProudNeoCon]

I think she refers to public scrutany not to the affair itself

[felisa11]

doesn't matter! It all comes with the package when you choose to do the horizon tango with a married repug.

[dukesman]

Its like Checkers after they make a move you have to jump them...

[hortonhearsdawho]

as if a repub could understand chess...

[Cookie100]

Chica said:
can't believe the harsh comments here! So she is an adult woman who is separated from her husband and fell in love and had an affair with amarried man Big deal! The children may be hurt and disappointed in their parents but they will survive. In the scheme of things, it is not so traumatic. People fall in love in bad circumstances or with the wrong people all of the time. If we were perfect with resisting temptation, we wouldn't be human. Where's your empathy people? I guess most of you commenters believe that empathy should only be extended to the virtuous.

LISTEN, nobody who have cared or said a word if he had told the Lieut. Gov he was taking a week off!

Can you leave your job for a week without telling anyone? Doubt it. He's an egomaniac, and a hypocrite!

I KNOW he was tring to get out of running for Prez. His wife has controlled his professional life for 20 years, I think he's had it. But also, the stimulus money was meant for education, and at this point, without an affair, he couldn't have gotten elected dog catcher.

Have some empathy for those people who cannot afford private schools like Sanford. He and his family have never gone to a public school in their lives. He has been wealthy since birth, he hasn't got a clue.

[Gabisol]

I think that we are criticizing the lack of empathy towards Chapur as a woman in love. This article is about her and the commenters are crucifing her. She did not violate any duty of loyalty towards her family or voters. She didn't spend the money of tax payers. Her only sin was to fall in love with an hypocrite man. She's not the first woman who made that mistake.

The governor and his wife, as a couple of hipocrites, should not receive any kind of empathy. None of the two.

[larissa68]

She had an affair with a married man. In the US, that makes her an adulterer.

You're fighting a losing battle. If you're trying to fix her reputation, it's not going to work

We don't care if she was in love. What she did was wrong. He had kids.

Do you get that? KIDS. You don't sleep with married me. PERIOD.

Now take your Argentinian morals and go home.

[adamnb]

So we find that a human female lives in Argentina.

[Ira7]

It's when they bring up God that really ticks me off.

It's so self-serving.

[justobserve]

Agree!

[MadHeart]

Oh, give it a break. She KNEW he was married and had absolutely no consideration for his wife, HIS kids or her own, either, it seems. Believe me, those two chased each other (both married) until it was hide the sausage time. Read the facts and quit romanticizing 2 people who have zero ethics.

[Gabisol]

She wasn't married. But you are right, she knew he was married and that he didn't love her wife any more. His wife knew he was in love with another woman and they were separated.
THREEE people who have zero ethics.

[CrapStormRising]

I love the way they all dump everything on God.