Sanford Says He Had Extramarital Affair

South Carolina Governor Cites Relationship With Woman in Argentina

ALEX ROTH VALERIE BAUERLEIN

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Wednesday he had had an affair, ending days of speculation about his whereabouts.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admits he had an extramarital affair with a woman from Argentina. The governor held the press conference after questions were raised about his disappearance for several days. Video courtesy of Fox News.

"The bottom line is this -- I've been unfaithful to my wife," the governor said during a news conference at the State House in which he paused several times to compose himself. He admitted lying to his staff about his whereabouts and said he had been in Argentina with a woman whom he didn't name.

He said he has known the woman for eight years and that the relationship turned romantic within the past year. He profusely apologized -- to his wife and four sons, his staff, the people of his state and "people of faith" around the country. "There are moral absolutes," he said, adding that he is remaining with his wife, whom he said has known about the affair for several months.

Where Is Sanford?

A timeline of reported information about Gov. Mark Sanford's whereabouts during his absence from South Carolina. (All times approximate).

Thursday, June 18

• Sanford leaves in a sport-utility vehicle normally driven by his bodyguards.

Monday, June 22

• Reggie Lloyd, head of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, raises concerns with elected officials about Sanford's whereabouts.
• 3 p.m.: The governor's wife, Jenny Sanford, tells the Associated Press that she does not know the location of her husband.
• 4:20 p.m.: A spokesperson releases a statement saying the governor was "taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle." The spokesperson declines to discuss Sanford's location but says in a second statement that the governor's staff knew where he was.
• 10:25 p.m.: A spokesman reports that Sanford has been hiking the Appalachian Trail.
• Tuesday, June 23
• 10:05 a.m.: A spokesman says Sanford has checked in with his chief of staff and was surprised by the attention given to his vacation.
• 12:00 p.m.: Sanford's office reports that the governor will return to work on Wednesday.

Wednesday, June 24

• 8:05 a.m.: Sanford, in an interview at Atlanta's airport, tells the State newspaper that he has been in Argentina during his absence, not hiking along the Appalachian Trail.
• 2:30 p.m.: At a news conference, Sanford says he had an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina.

More

• Live Blog: Gov. Sanford's news conference
• Read Gov. Mark Sanford's interview with the State newspaper in South Carolina on his return from Argentina.
• Law Blog: Does Sanford Face Legal Trouble?

"I'm committed to getting my heart right," he said, adding that he would step down as head of the Republican Governors Association. Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi, will succeed Mr. Sanford in that role.

Mr. Sanford, 49 years old, didn't say anything about whether he would resign as the state's governor. He didn't answer a question about that as the news conference was coming to a close.

Mr. Sanford arrived in Argentina Friday and left Tuesday on Delta Air Lines flights, according to a person in Argentina familiar with the details of the governor's schedule.

The U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires said the governor didn't contact them about his trip. "Gov. Sanford did not contact our intergovernment affairs office or the embassy in Buenos Aires to register official travel," an embassy spokeswoman said. "If he decided to travel as a private citizen the Department of State would not have to be informed."

Mr. Sanford's disappearance for several days was first widely reported Monday afternoon, and late Monday evening his office said the governor was hiking along the Appalachian Trail, which runs from Georgia to Maine. Mr. Sanford's office reiterated that Tuesday.

In a statement released after Wednesday's news conference, Mr. Sanford reiterated that neither he nor his staff intentionally misled the public about his

"I want to make absolutely clear that over the past two days at no time did anyone on my staff intentionally relay false information to other state officials or the public at large," he said. "What they've said over the past two days they believed to be true, and I'm sorry to them for putting them in this position."

Mr. Sanford has been viewed as a likely contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. He recently battled with Obama administration officials and with his own opponents in South Carolina over $700 million in federal stimulus funds he refused to accept, despite rising unemployment and steep funding shortages in South Carolina. Mr. Sanford argued that taking the money would be bad fiscal policy, and said he would refuse to apply for the cash unless the state used an equal amount to pay down its debt.

Mr. Barbour vowed not to let the controversy affect the Republican Governors Association's efforts to organize for the next election cycle.

"The news revealed today hurts all of us who have gotten to know Gov. Sanford over the years," Mr. Barbour said. "The RGA has an important task over the next two years. I am committed to seeing it through and confident we will succeed."

Mr. Barbour is a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Getty Images

During a news conference in which he paused several times to compose himself, the governor said he'd been unfaithful to his wife.

The nearly weeklong incident started Thursday, when Mr. Sanford took off in a sport-utility vehicle armed with blue lights and a radio and normally driven by a bodyguard, and turned off his mobile phone. Mr. Sanford has regularly ditched his bodyguards when taking a run or dashing out to Taco Bell or other favorite spots in the past.

People familiar with the situation say it was one of Mr. Sanford's appointees, Reggie Lloyd, head of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, whose concerns prompted elected officials on Monday to investigate whether a temporary handoff of control was needed. Elected officials decided against doing so after being told by aides to the governor that they knew Mr. Sanford's location.