Sawyer Steps Down From Sanford’s Office
The talent level in S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s office took a major hit today as communications director Joel Sawyer – who has served as a close advisor and the voice of the administration for the past four years – announced his resignation effective August 5th.
Sawyer said he was stepping down to pursue “other opportunities in the private sector,” but did not specify what those opportunities might be.
He will be replaced in his role as spokesman by Sanford’s Cabinet director, Ben Fox.
Sawyer, a former reporter for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, was hired by the governor in 2003. He was elevated to the spokesman’s role in 2005 when our founding editor, Will Folks, resigned as the governor’s press secretary to start his own political consulting firm.
“It’s truly been an honor to serve both Mark and the people of South Carolina for the past six and a half years,” Sawyer said in a prepared statement. “This has been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make, because I have and will continue to be such an ardent supporter of what this Administration is working to accomplish. I firmly believe that despite recent events, great things to move our state forward can be done during the remaining 18 months of this Administration.”
In the same statement, Sanford praised Sawyer as “a wonderfully devoted and skillful member of our team.”
And an influential one. Next to Sanford’s chief-of-staff, Scott English, Sawyer has been one of the governor’s closest advisors in recent years.
“Huge …” one of the governor’s former staffers told FITS in describing the void Sawyer would leave behind. “I’m still in shock.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, many Palmetto political observers speculated that Sawyer’s decision was motivated by the difficult position the governor put him in last month when he lied to his staff about his whereabouts. Believing the governor was telling the truth, Sawyer told reporters that Sanford was hiking the Appalachian Trail when the governor was really in Buenos Aires, Argentina with his lover, Maria Belen Chapur.
Reporters we spoke with confidentially said that they don’t hold that against Sawyer.
“He provided information which he was led to believe was accurate,” said one reporter who works with Sawyer on a regular basis. “His credibilty is not in question, the governor’s credibilty is in question.”
WEB EXTRA
Comments
By Dick Rambone on July 17th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Looks like you will be able to get your job back!
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' on July 17th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Anybody would be a fool to serve as the governor’s spokesperson after the way Sanford hung Sawyer out to dry. Plus, why hitch your wagon to a fallen star?
By Fashizzle on July 17th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Wonder if this has anything to with him finding out Sanford blew a small fortune of taxpayer money on first-class airfare while state policy is everyone flies coach? It must suck to have your boss lie to your face repeatedly.
By Elmo on July 17th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
You know his job had to suck these last few weeks.Every time a reporter called him, he had to cringe.
After all, you can not shine a turd.
By baker on July 17th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Joel is a smart, talented, and likeable guy.
Maybe now he can get back to normal and stop with the right-wing, liberatarian stuff. If I recall correctly from our days working together, Joel described himself as basically a Democrat. But, boy, he really got whooped-up while covering Mark Sanford’s first campaign for governor. He was a super-fan.
All that aside, yeah, I figure he’s lost the ability to really trust the governor after all this. If you’re someone’s spokesman, you’ve got to have a real serious bond and trust, I would think.
By PandaChris on July 17th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
While unemployment went up, so called fiscal conservative leaders were wasting your money.
According to NewsMax, A CONSERVATIVE news site, Mark Sanford spent 37,600 on five overseas flights, including one that included a visit with his girlfriend, and flew first class or business class, WHILE ALL OTHER STATE EMPLOYEES FLEW COACH!
I guess we should just wait for Nikki Haley to be governor if we want fiscal conservatism….no,wait….according to the same site, so-called fiscal conservative Nikki Haley also likes to fly with style. On a trip representing SC, while other state employees and representatives were able to fly round trip to China for between $1900 and $3900….Ms. Haley’s ticket was only $6900!
FITSNews, why havent there stories appeared on this site?
If other GOP leaders who were on the governor’s hit lists went out on the state dime and ordered a bagel instead of dry toast, this site would be blazing it with headlines like “FATASS RINOS eat well while SC children starve”.
Sanford is a fraud and apparently Nikki is as well.
By Silence Dogood on July 17th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
“We’ve found the governor”
Where?
“Oh, we know, it is just a secret, personal trip, personal reasons”
where is he?
“It is personal, refreshing the battery, his whereabouts aren’t news”
“Actually, you know what I honestly have NO idea where he is, but let’s have a 10:00PM press conference to stay he on the Appalacian Trail.”
Are you sure?
“No, if anything I am sure he is NOT on the Applalacian Trail – but if in doubt…lie”
One way or another Mr. Sawyer KNOWINGLY lied directly to the people of S.C. in an attempt to cover up for the Lovernor – his credibility is deeply tarnished in the opinion of many – even if not the ‘reporter’ quoted here above. I am still curious why his staff gets off scott free for knowingly lying to everyone in S.C. through out the course of this debacle. They either (a) knew he was in Agentina and lied about him being elsewhere or (b) (most likely option) knew they had NO F-ing clue where he was and determined among themselve to lie anyway and say he was on the trail.
I still really enjoyed all those B.S. news headlines his staff kept trying get out there about how the governor was “found” (cell phone near Atlanta tower) “found” (writing a book somewhere) “found” (hiking) “We only wiated this long to tell everyone – and by tell you I mean lie straight to your faces – because we wanted to confirm where exactly on the Appalacian Trail he was before disclosing it.”
By TotalWench on July 17th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Yes, Fashizzle, I’m sure that Sawyer has never had a politician lie to him before. Are we to believe that he is the ONE political consultant on the plant with morals and a soul? Right.
By political hack on July 17th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Can’t go down on Sanford’s ship, Sawyer will live to sail another day, Formiddable spokesman, keep your eyes on this guy in the future
By Margarita on July 17th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Wow! ANOTHER coincidence! All the coincidences sure are coincidental! Like how he coincidentally asked to go on a trade mission to Argentina when coincidentally his lover was there and now his communications director coincidentally steps down right after he left him to twist in the wind answering unanswerable questions. What are the chances?!?!
By madcock on July 17th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
PandaChris, kudos. That is some great fact-finding. Thank you.
By purpleminded1 on July 17th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Haley and Sanfraud in China, hummmmmmmmm.
By SC6 Chair on July 17th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
And so now the exodus begins. Will the last person leaving the office please turn off the lights??…
By BIN News Editorial Staff on July 17th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Our Funding Editor recalls that sic(k) willie left that job because of a CDV allegation for which he was later found guilty. But we all know that sic(k) willie is enveloped in his own fog of false reality.
There is a reason so many have used the term “sanfraud.” sic(k) willie was among the first to recognize the “fraud” part. But he was silent.
Now we learn markiemark was flying “bidnessclass” while his staff was flying in the “cheap seats.” On how many boondoggles?
sic(k) willie, you, sanfraud and the other republicrat morons make it harder and harder for our Funding Editor to vote Republican.
By 1st none surprised on July 17th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Just go ahead and drive the last nail into the GOP coffin already. People are jumping ship everywhere. Democrats may not be any better, but they could not be any worse. If only the Democrats could beat the Bible a little harder, perhaps they too could get to be bald-faced liars, cheaters, hypocrits, and anything else while at the same time receiving ultimate forgiveness and support from their followers.
Sawyer, Mrs. Sanfraud, and everyone else associated with the Lovernor lied, all for the sake of political power and saving face. This entire administration needs to be flushed down the toilet.
By Calhoun Fawls on July 18th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Sawyer packed it in, as he should have done. He did it with class. The fact he left and the way he left speaks well of him. We all know the reason. He need not say it.
By liz on July 18th, 2009 at 7:01 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqx9ZxnvxSM
The Governor was in Argentina studying their Social Security system.
Here are two articles on Argentina’s Social Security system, which is privatized. Sources blame recent financial woes in Argentina on privatization in one article.
http://www.justlanded.com/english/Argentina/Argentina-Guide/Jobs/Social-Security
http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2004/11/argentina_and_s.html
Governor Sanford wrote a book entitled ” The Trust Committed to Me”. I haven’t read it but I spent some time reading it’s reviews. Hopefully that is not some wierd cryptic title.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Trust_Committed.htm
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/07/02/sanford-on-trust-like-jeffrey-dahmer-writing-a-vegetarian-cookb/
I FOUND MY PRIVATIZED SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT AT FIDELITY INVESTMENTS PEOPLE> GO LOOK FOR YOURS!!!!!!!
By liz on July 18th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Oh and good luck Joel. You’ll need it saying you support this Governor, a member of a cult called C Street, the ” Christian mafia” according to them.
By Dave T. on July 18th, 2009 at 9:00 am
It is simply impossible for Haley to claim she can’t remember if she flew in coach or first class to China. I fly every week, and I can pretty much tell you that the difference between coach and first class, especially overseas, isn’t like one more inch of leg room in first class, and a sandwich with mayo and mustard in first and nothing in coach. It’s the difference between getting where you are going in the cabin of a flying bus, or a nice comfortable recliner all to yourself….
By BIN News Editorial Staff on July 18th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Dave T. is right. For Haley to claim she can’t remember if she flew coach or something else clearly gives only two choices. Either she’s a liar, or she does not have enough intellectiual carpacity to be gub’ner of S.C.
For the record, our Funding Editor flies coach. The cheap br@t :) always makes us carry her luggage so she does not have to tip the skycaps.
But to our knowledge she has never slept on a cot in her office.
Like sanfraud claims he used to do. The Fraud has been exposed.
By purpleminded1 on July 18th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Haley is fake.
By Huhhh on July 18th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
“formidable spokesman”?
How about really arrogant toady?
Plus, he has known for years that the only thing Mark Sanford does is play on the internet and fly his family around the state at taxpayer expense.
Nikki Haley is disgracful. She needs to go hide under a rock.
By Dean on July 18th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
How many people think these sorts of state funded overseas ventures every produce any tangible benefit to the taxpayers?
By anonymous on July 18th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Department Of Homeland Security Worried About Mark Sanford’s Disappearance
South Carolina’s Charleston Post and Courier has posted online some 570 pages of internal emails out of Mark Sanford’s office that were obtained through a FOIA request, and here’s an amusing postcript:
It appears the Department of Homeland Security raised concerns internally about his disappearance, suggesting the possibility that the Feds may have worried that Sanford’s MIA status signaled a national security threat. This underscores yet again the irresponsibility of his vanishing act.
On page 523 of the emails, you find an email chain involving a DHS official and Sanford’s aides. A DHS media monitoring official, Margaret Luther, emailed DHS employees a copy of a State article about his disappearance, with an amusingly clinical subject line:
“South Carolina Governor Whereabouts Unknown”
That email was forwarded to Sanford’s Washington office, and the expression of concern from DHS prompted a bit of joking among Sanford’s aides, with one emailing another:
DHS is worried about the governor (in an unofficial way). Big Brother is watching.
It’s just yet another way that Sanford’s goofball disappearance taxed us all, even consuming Federal resources
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/republican-party/department-of-homeland-security-worried-about-mark-sanfords-disappearance/
By anonymous on July 18th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
New Shot Of Mark Sanford’s Lover
Posted on Jul 17 2009
Kudos to the AP, which finally got a brand new picture of Maria Belen Chapur, Mark Sanford’s Argentinean lover.
http://investmentgrader.com/2009/07/17/new-shot-of-mark-sanfords-lover/
By anonymous on July 19th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Mr. Sanford,
Sir, what have you been doing over the last few days? uh uh uh well, I’m on this journey uh uh uh …I’m trying to get my mind right …uh uh uh wait let me finish…
Sir, what journey? uh uh uh …I have struggled with how best to convey my regret in letting so many down and and and it’s going to take a long time to apologize to everyone ..
Sir, what do you regret? uh uh uh …I did wrong and failed at the largest of levels …uh uh uh …but the fact is that God can make good …uh uh uh …
Sir, did you go to a funeral the past weeks? …uh uh uh Yes! Yes I did! …while none of us has the chance to attend our own funeral, in many ways I feel like I was at my own in the past weeks …uh uh uh …wait, let me finish….lifetimes of lessons …lifetimes of lessons learned over the past weeks …yep, I’ve learned lots of lessons …I’ve learned alot …uh uh uh….
Sir, are you concerned about the citizens or the economy of South Carolina? uh uh uh …well, over my life I have not given any thought to either of those issues uh uh uh …actually, I have never thought about the people of South Carolina until now …uh uh uh …but now, I’m thinking about them alot, all of you, everyone of you, I love you so much, God loves you and I love you more …uh uh uh wait, let me finish…
Sir, how do we know that you have truly changed? uh uh uh well, no public apology can make wrong right uh uh uh …but it is on this plane that I’ve grown the most over the past weeks ….to work to becoming a better and more effective leader …uh uh uh …we are all family now, the South Carolina family …I love you man….uh uh uh ….
Sir, what have you done to become a more effective leader? uh uh uh well, I’ve been to my own funeral and really it’s all about the tides …uh uh uh see, my tide is going out right now, so ya’ll need to have love, mercy and walk humbly as I take these baby steps in the next 18 months ….uh uh uh…
Sir, what was your funeral like? uh uh uh well, it was just awful! …it was just awful! uh uh uh …it was just me looking at me …uh uh uh …and you know I realized that I am the governor of South Carolina and I haven’t done anything for the citizens since I’ve been in office except cause grief and corruption uh uh uh …so I asked myself? Self? How am I going to get out of this? uh uh uh …
Sir, how are you going to get the people of South Carolina to forgive and forget all the grief and corruption? uh uh uh well, I know, I have the answer …I hereby pronounce and appoint God as governor of South Carolina …uh uh uh uh …that’s it …God is now Governor! You heard me! God is the Governor of South Carolina …uh uh uh …quite frankly, there is really is no need for me to go to my office at all …uh uh uh wait, let me finish….
By anonymous on July 19th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Sanford’s born-again blather
Mark Sanford is born again after viewing his own “funeral” in recent weeks, the wayward South Carolina governor writes in Palmetto State newspapers today.
“It is true that I did wrong and failed at the largest of levels, but equally true is the fact that God can make good of our respective wrongs in life.”
Good Lord. This man is using God for political cover.
His “I did wrong” blather notwithstanding, has he fully accounted yet for all his lies and deceptions? Who should believe anything he says?
“I’ve been humbled and broken as never before in my life, and as a consequence have given up areas of control in a way that I never have before. And it is my belief that this will make me a better father, husband, friend and advocate.
“It’s in the spirit of making good from bad that I am committing to you and the larger family of South Carolinians to use this experience both to trust God in his larger work of changing me and, from my end, to work to becoming a better and more effective leader.”
Give it up, man. Work out your problems in private. Let the people of South Carolina move on from this embarrassing episode.
“In working with a few alterations to my approach, I think this could be a far more productive last session than the one that would have been had the tragedy that has unfolded not occurred, and in turn, people’s lives can be made better.”
A few alterations? This is delusional.
Looks like the governor’s communications director has had enough.
I doubt he’s the only one.
http://www.news-record.com/blog/54431/entry/64715
By anonymous on July 19th, 2009 at 9:12 am
E-mails show S.C. governor’s office concerned with image
E-mails released by Gov. Mark Sanford’s office show an administration that is concerned about its image, coordinates its message with a close group of former staffers and is not afraid to play hardball with political opponents.
The documents show the behind-the-scenes workings of a governor who long claimed ideas were more important than politics.
Many of the e-mails contain press clippings. Others discuss which papers Sanford should place opinion pieces in or interviews he should accept. Sanford also frequently asks staff to send him stories or cartoons about him.
In many cases, staff or Sanford discuss ways to respond to media coverage and opinion columns that they disagree with, such as an article critical of Sanford’s record.
In one e-mail, staff members write a response to an article. The e-mail’s title is “Proposed surrogate: Chad Walldorf.” That indicates Sanford’s office wrote the piece for Walldorf, a political ally and former chief of staff, to sign his name to.
FULL STORY:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/841384.html
By Someone who hates BIN on July 19th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
honestly, BIN. your sole purpose to attack sic willie always results in failures and you looking like an idiot.
By Recovering Lobbyist on July 20th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Silence: Did it occur to you, ever, before you slandered Sawyer, that he was neither talking to the Governor nor personally trying to reach him? That another staff member in the Governor’s office was the person assigned the task of finding their lost boss? Really, you are the problem with the Internet. There is no accountability.
By Silence Dogood on July 20th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Recovering Lobbyist – I appreciate the greatness applied to me that I am the problem with the internet.
I am including Sawyer with the rest of the people who would have know collectively, note: “They either (a) knew he was in Agentina and lied about him being elsewhere or (b) (most likely option) knew they had NO F-ing clue where he was and determined among themselve(sic) to lie anyway and say he was on the trail.”
Note the the pronoun “they” and the one I incorrectly typo-ed, “determinted among themselve[s].” So I guess if you think that I am saying what I said with either (a) direct knowledge that it is indeed false, (not likely) or (b) recklessness disregard in whether or not it is true – then you would be correct, I have apparently slandered NOT JUST Sawyer, but the entire governor’s staff (however, based on the facts available, this opinion of mine is not very outlandish at all).
So on that note, as I represent all that is bad with the internet (and obversely I will just assume persons such as yourself represent all that is good with the interent) there is just one conundrum left for you, which is:
If Sanford and staff made their statements either (a) knowing Sanford was somewhere else, or (b) (as I presumed) not knowing where he was – that is, in reckless disregard for the truth about where he was – can we at least call it a draw since they lied first. In your mighty opinion, oh great commenter, I will await your verdict final judgement, but until them remain as…
Silence