House Panel to Add New Charge to Sanford Impeachment Resolution

A House subcommittee debating whether to impeach Gov. Mark Sanford because of his 2009 trip to Argentina to see his lover are now focusing on something new--his 2008 trip to Argentina, the trip during which Sanford says his relationship first turned physical with Maria Belen Chapur.

The 2008 trip was part of an economic development trip to Brazil. Commerce secretary Joe Taylor had arranged a three-day hunting side trip to Argentina after the meetings in Brazil. Gov. Sanford said he didn't want to hunt for three days, so he asked the Commerce Department to arrange economic development meetings for him in Buenos Aires.

But Rep. Greg Delleney, R-Chester, the main sponsor of the impeachment resolution against the governor, said during Monday's subcommittee meeting, "In my mind, there's no question that the real reason for this 2008 trip was something other than state business and state business was just used as a cover to make this trip."

He says because of that, he plans to amend his impeachment resolution to add a charge that Sanford abused his power by setting up the 2008 Argentina trip just to see his lover.

But Swati Patel, Sanford's staff attorney, told the subcommittee, "SLED conducted a review of Gov. Sanford's 2008 Argentina trade mission and found no wrongdoing or misuse of state funds, so I would ask you to consider that."

The subcommittee had expected to vote Monday on the impeachment resolution, but chairman Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Columbia, delayed the vote at least until the subcommittee meets again Wednesday afternoon. "Based on what people heard today, they needed some additional time to sort through the 2008 trip and make sure they understand the full implications of that trip before casting a vote. I think to hear about 2008 today and immediately turn around and cast a vote probably would have been premature," he said.

Earlier in the meeting, before the subcommittee started talking about the 2008 trip to Argentina, lawmakers agreed not to consider four of the nine ethics charges against the governor for his use of state airplanes. The subcommittee will consider five of those charges. It had dropped from consideration most of the other ethics charges against the governor at its last meeting.

Ross Garber, a lawyer hired to represent the Office of Governor, not Gov. Sanford personally, issued a written statement after the meeting saying, "It is appropriate that the Committee has now dismissed 32 of the 37 ethics charges as potential grounds for impeachment. The remaining five charges clearly fall well below the standard for impeachment."

More information on the 2008 South American Trade Mission to Brazil and Argentina can be found here: http://www.governorsanford.com/trademission.html.