Governor Mark Sanford To Return to Work Wednesday

Click on the video tab above to see Chris Cato's hilarious take on the Governor's disappearance.

**Tuesday 11:56am Update**

Senator Glenn McConnell issued the following statement:

"Based on the recent news coverage concerning the Governor’s absence from South Carolina, several issues have arisen concerning the impact of a sitting Governor leaving the State and the Governor being incommunicado for an extended period of time. Also troublesome was the Governor’s decision to leave his security detail behind. While we can all sympathize with Mark Sanford’s need for rest and relaxation these are issues that are bigger than a single person and fundamentally affect how we operate as a state government should there be a crisis or an emergency that requires prompt action and response. This is vitally important in post 9-11 world.

The Constitution currently provides as follows:

“In the case of the removal of the Governor from office by impeachment, death, resignation, disqualification, disability, or removal from the State, the Lieutenant Governor shall be Governor. In case the Governor be impeached, the Lieutenant Governor shall act in his stead and have his powers until judgment in the case shall have been pronounced. In the case of the temporary disability of the Governor and in the event of the temporary absence of the Governor from the State, the Lieutenant Governor shall have full authority to act in an emergency. (1972 (57) 3171; 1973 (58) 48.)”

The problem with this section of our Constitution is that the term “temporary absence” is not defined so that there is no bright line measure of how to determine in an emergency whether the Lt. Governor is authorized to act in the Governor’s stead. That is why I am proposing a bill that would provide a definition to the term “temporary absence” so that we can ensure that the government continues to operate in a smooth and continuous manner and that we are also protected in case of an emergency.

While I am confident that the Governor’s staff was sincere in their view that they would consult with other leaders before making any decision in case of an emergency, I can take no solace in the fact that unelected staff would be making grave and important decisions in case of an emergency during the Governor’s temporary absence. The people at the ballot box have voted to put their faith in those they elected to handle such emergencies. Those elected have sworn an oath to do those jobs in accordance with the Constitution and laws of this state. In an emergency, it should be those people who consult with staff to make a decision and not the other way around.

Finally, it concerns me that Governor Sanford has with him no security. Again I understand this Governor and other Governors need free time and personal space. However, that desire has to be weighed against the duties and responsibilities of the office of Governor and what that office represents. The federal government came to the decision that the Presidency was more than just the person occupying the office. There was just as much importance to the office itself. For that reason, the federal government mandates that the President must have police protection.

I believe that the office of Governor is too important as a symbol for our state and too necessary during times of emergency to risk something happening to the person who serves as Governor. Being Governor has its own inherent risks apart from the high profile position that he holds. The Governor must make decisions that could anger any number of people who could want to exact retribution. For those reasons, that is why I plan to introduce legislation similar to the federal law that mandates security coverage for the Lt. Governor and Governor so as to protect the order of succession in South Carolina and our ability to handle emergencies in our state."

**Tuesday 9:43am Update**

Governor Mark Sanford says he will return to his office Wednesday given the circumstances and attention his trip has garnered.

Governor Sanford called to check in with his Chief of Staff Tuesday morning according to communications Director Joel Sawyer. Sawyer says Tuesday "it would be fair to say the governor was somewhat taken aback by all of the interest this trip has gotten."

Sanford's office revealed Monday night the governor has been hiking along the Appalachian Trail.

Sawyer says he will not be doing any interviews with reporters on Tuesday.

The mystery of the missing Governor is now solved. The location of Gov. Mark Sanford had been unknown since Thursday of last week, when The State newspaper reported Sanford left the Governor's Mansion in a black SLED Suburban SUV. But Monday night, his office released a statement saying Sanford was "hiking the Appalachian Trail".

Joel Sawyer, spokesperson for the governor, said, "I want to emphasize that this isn't something that either staff or Mrs. Sanford is concerned about. As we said earlier today, it isn't unusual for the governor to be out of pocket for several days after the legislative session. We knew he would be difficult to reach, and that he would be checking in infrequently. Given the media attention this has generated, we'll obviously update you once we have some more specifics to pass along."

First lady Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press earlier Monday her husband has been gone for several days and she did not know where, but she was not concerned.

The AP went on to report that Jenny Sanford claimed the governor said he needed time away from their children to write something.

Several legislators contacted Monday evening say they were "concerned" over the governor's disappearance, but were also concerned about who was running the state. Lt. Governor Andre Bauer said Monday night that he had not been contacted by the governor's office, and that as long as someone was in contact with the governor, Sanford was still in charge. Sanford's office says that was never an issue. Lt. Governor Andre Bauer talked to WIS-TV Monday night. "If the Lt. Governor of the state can't get in touch with the governor of the state that's not a good system to have in place", Bauer said.
Bauer released a statement to Politico.com that said he called Sanford's office and requested an "immediate phone conversation with the governor."
Bauer said the request was denied and Sanford's Chief of Staff didn't know the governor's whereabouts. Sanford's spokesman said they tried to call the lieutenant governor "and he didn't call back".
Do you buy the story being told by Governor Sanford's office? Read Amy Wood's blog and vote in the BLOGPOLL
The State and The Associated Press contributed to this report