First Step in Possible Sanford Impeachment Happens Tuesday

The first step in the possible impeachment of Gov. Mark Sanford happens Tuesday, November 17th, the first day for pre-filing bills in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Rep. Greg Delleney, R-Chester, says his impeachment resolution is already on the desk and will be the first one pre-filed. He tried to introduce the resolution when lawmakers went back to Columbia October 27th and 28th, but it was ruled out of order. Lawmakers were back to deal with extending unemployment benefits and the rules allowing their return did not allow them to consider an impeachment resolution.

Delleney says Sanford’s disappearance back in June, leaving the state without leaving anyone else in charge or letting his staff or security detail know where he was going, along with his admitted affair and the shame and ridicule it brought on the state and the governor’s office, are reason enough for impeachment. The state constitution allows impeachment for serious crimes or serious misconduct while in office.

“There is no one in the military, there is no one in the private sector that could expect to keep their job having done what he has done,“ Delleney says. “So the question is are we going to make a special exception for this governor to keep his job? And if what he’s done does not rise to the level of serious misconduct, which does not require a crime, then we need to strike that provision from the Constitution.“

After the impeachment resolution is pre-filed, House Speaker Bobby Harrell will assign it to a committee. When he does that, and which committee, is up to him. But Delleney says if it’s assigned to the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Jim Harrison has already said he will appoint a special ad hoc committee to handle the matter. It would be made up of the Constitutional Laws subcommittee, which Delleney chairs, and other members that would be added. Since it’s Delleney’s resolution, he would not chair the subcommittee while it works on the resolution.

Harrell has said he wants to wait until he sees the State Ethics Commission’s report on its investigation into the governor’s travel and use of state planes before the House takes any action on impeachment. Delleney says he’s heard the release of that report is “imminent”, so he expects the committee to start working on the impeachment resolution in early December.

If the committee sends the impeachment resolution to the full House, at least two-thirds of the House would have to vote to impeach. If that happens, Gov. Sanford would be suspended from office until the Senate tries the case. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal would preside over the Senate’s hearing of the case. A two-thirds vote of the Senate would be required to convict. If that were to happen, Sanford would be removed from office permanently.