As the fallout from S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s shocking sex scandal continues to cascade down on the South Carolina political landscape, questions abound as to how this truly remarkable scandal unfolded.
Obviously, one of the biggest questions – the identity of the mysterious Maria – has been answered.
Of course, the most frequently asked question is this: Who leaked the governor’s private emails to a local newspaper?
Also, how did the leaker(s) gain access to the governor’s private email account?
Oh, and why did The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper – which published several “rated M for mature” excerpts yesterday – wait several months before they even attempted to determine whether or not the emails were authentic?
Let’s start with the first question – who leaked?
The paper claims that the racy emails – as well as subsequent tips about when and where the governor would be arriving upon his return from Argentina – were provided anonymously. If that’s true, the newspaper may not actually know who provided them with the information.
And since the South Carolina political establishment has no shortage of Sanford haters, you’re talking about a pretty long list of potential suspects.
In other words, it could be anybody.
So … who would we put in our lineup of possible leakers?
Obviously, you have to start with the S.C. Budget and Control Board, which provides Sanford and his staffers with computers and cell phones.
It’s not a stretch to assume that governor may have accessed his personal email from a state computer, thus creating a possible trail of evidence.
Also under some legitimate scrutiny is the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division, which certainly seems to have a mole that was feeding information to Sanford’s political enemies throughout this evolving drama.
Oddly enough, one of the most popular suspects in this developing parlor game is the person who is perhaps most adversely impacted by the governor’s actions, First Lady Jenny Sanford.
Ordinarily, we would never lump her into a list like this but let’s face it – she’s got the proximity and very likely might have known (or been able to guess) the governor’s passwords.
Also, as is worth pointing out, this story first started to stretch its legs when the First Lady commented Monday that she did not know where the governor was and “wasn’t concerned” about his whereabouts.
That’s when reporters’ antennae went up.
Incidentally, Sanford’s office announced this afternoon that the governor will be reimbursing S.C. taxpayers for one leg of an economic development trip to South America during which the governor says he met with his Argentinian mistress, Maria Belen Chapur.
Stay tuned …
By newzjunkie June 25, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Ummm – a woman scorn will do anything! Here’s the score: Jenny -1 vs. Mark – 0!
By CNSYD June 25, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Cell phone calls are easily traced to the tower from which they orginated. Maybe Sanford deleted e-mail but never cleaned out the delete file. If government computers are involved then whoever is the “system administrator” will have access to his files. SLED would, IMO, have to have a reason to want to get him. Maybe they do, I don’t know. I would imagine The State would have not been concerned with their authenticity. Couldn’t they have just shown them to Sanford and see how he reacted? I suspect The State wondered what purpose it would have served to expose this months ago. Sanford provided the purpose himself last week. Years ago I called a superior’s house in the wee hours about a work situation. His awakened wife told me he was not there and had no idea where he was in a voice that indicated she could care less. So it happens.
By I know June 25, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Jake Knott’s is known to have an AXE to grind with the Gov and has the contacts on the inside.
By Dave June 25, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Good story CNSYD.
By Steve from NH June 25, 2009 at 7:52 pm
I’d bet money the e-mail copies came from an angry and scared wife of the governor.
By Fits Fan June 26, 2009 at 12:52 am
Bet at least he never called her a tight legged twit
By lou June 26, 2009 at 7:05 am
http://www.urbansurvival.com
PTB Global Management
Ending Troubles with a “Honey Pot”
If an informed reader has any memory at all, the adventure of the ‘disappearance” of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and his re-emergence after admitting to an affair in Argentina, brings into focus a very interesting question. Are we seeing another application of what in the alphabet agency/spy business is called a “honey pot” operation?
If I were looking at one of my computer reference books like Head First Design Patterns, I’d have to at least ask the question am I seeing a dandy way for the PTB to put those who get in the way of the globalist agenda to single out and destroy opposition? Why, it’d be far more efficient than assassination or disappearances, although there’s enough wet-work to bring those along, too, in one remembers Dr. David Kelly and those missing microbiologists, but that’s a whole different branch of the global railroad.
“Honey Pot” operations are a marvelously efficient way to clean up messy loose ends and opposition. Defined in Wikipedia as:
“Honeypot or honeytrap may refer to:
Espionage recruitment involving sexual seduction in
reality or
fiction.
A type of sting operation such as a
bait car or
honeypot (computing) , a trap to help fight unauthorized computer access.”
Now, let’s see here, can I make up a list?
Mark Sanford, opposes economic stimulus ram down and a few months later is discredited with an affair.
You’ve been following the adventures of Italy’s prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and a rumored indiscretion?
Former NY State AG Elliot Spitzer who went after all kinds of PTB interests and then, two days after reports that he was a client of a high-end prostitution ring, he resigned as governor of MY
If you want to remember back to 1987, there was the highly publicized Gary hart/Donna Rice affair. Ex-senator about to run for president – taken out by what?
Just ask yourself the simple – and obvious – question. (I mean besides who was it that conveniently tipped the Miami Herald in the Gary Hart affair?) All victims of ‘testosterone poisoning’?
Another question is where’s that missing bank finance chief in the UK that police are looking for?
There are two answers: Either there’s a class of politician that is so smart in politics as to make it into high office, yet dumb enough that along comes a good looking woman and they wander off following their pechusezelwhackers (* it’s an old fire house term analogous to “Johnson”) in a testosterone fog OR if you want to get a hot affair going, all you need to do is be in a position to challenge the PTB paradigm and hotties will be sent in to take you down…and then…er…take you down.
Testosterone or tactic? Hand me a dart, would’ja? I throw, you decide.
By justsaynotojoe June 26, 2009 at 7:41 am
Jakie Knotts. Has the contacts with the access. (Opportunity) Hates Sanford with a passion and sees himself as a saviour of the moral character of the state. (Motive)
By WHH2 June 26, 2009 at 9:18 am
When is Glenn McConnell’s office going to reimburse the state for his affair with a Civil War submarine? That tab’s a hell of a lot more than a little detour to Argentina on a state sponsored trip. It’s amazing what gets people’s antennas up. A few thousand bucks for the gov to get a piece of ass sends folks into orbit, but being bent over by the good ol boys day in and day out hardly raises an eyebrow. Certainly a head scratcher.
By A. South Carolina Dead Politician June 26, 2009 at 4:01 pm
There was an old hustler called Quinn
Who worshiped the thought of a win
And for pieces of silver
He stab his own liver
And sell his own soul to the wind
By Carlata June 27, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Obviously, Fits bloggers comprise mostly men who obviously are not married to someone of Jenny Sanford’s superior intelligence and strategic insights. Silly fools. Jen leaked the e-mails, in fact, she has known of this “affair,” among other distractions, for more than 5 months. In fact, she seems to have demonstrated her George Eliot abilities (or shall we say, Elizabeth B Browning) and had great play with this Latina lover with a few gushing, and romantic love letters. She had the e-mail address. And she had hubby tracked enough to know how to note a few personal aspects —but notice the shyness with which “Mark” demonstrated by not “getting too sexual.” When is the last time a guy with a bat in his pants held back from laying out the rawness. Only a woman (a heterosexual woman who is gagging while writes) would be so soft about such hard experiences. I’m collecting bets on the leaker. I’ll put $100 on the 1st lady.