In a story that has taken more twists and turns than the trail his staff claims he has been hiking on, the SLED-owned vehicle he was supposed to have taken has been discovered in a Columbia Airport parking lot. CNN is reporting that the SUV is outfitted with blue police lights and two-way radio. Inside the vehicle is a baseball cap, running shoes, sunscreen, a pair of shorts, a canvas bag and a sleeping bag. A parking permit for the school attended by Sanford’s children is visible on the windshield.
The governor is supposed to return to office Wednesday after a strange six-day absence. His staff released a statement Tuesday night claiming the governor had been hiking the Appalachian Trail. It was also reported that a cell phone tower picked up a signal from his cell phone in the Atlanta area late last week, when the governor first "disappeared."
What has made this story odd for many, is the fact that Sanford did not tell most of his staff, and even his wife Jenny, of his whereabouts. Even early Tuesday evening, the first lady still had not heard from her husband. She told CNN, "I am being a mom today. I have not heard from my husband. I am taking care of my children."
Lawmakers, including the Lt. Governor, were concerned about his whereabouts, but were more vocal about who was running the state. Lt. Governor Andre Bauer said today that he was never notified that the governor had left the state and that Sanford's office had inaccurately told him it was in touch with the governor at a time when it was unsure of his whereabouts. U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn said Tuesday that Sanford should have told Bauer he would be traveling out of state before taking off on a hiking trip. "I wish he had called the lieutenant governor and at least alerted him to the fact that he was going to be out of pocket. That way we would not have any kind of possible crisis."
So where is the governor now? News Channel 7 will be in Columbia Wednesday to find out.
Read more in Amy Wood's blog and post your comments for her What You're Saying segment. Plus see a video put out by the DNC and another video with Sanford's former chief of staff defending him.
And VOTE do you buy the story being told by the Governor's office?
CNN contribulted to this report.
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