By fitsnews – November 23, 2009
S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford faces over three dozen state ethics charges stemming from violations of travel rules and campaign finance laws, Jim Davenport of the Associated Press reported Monday.
The violations – thirty-seven of them in all – are contained in a preliminary report prepared by S.C. State Ethics Commission investigators, who spent three months looking into a variety of alleged abuses committed by the governor. Sanford’s administration has come under expanded scrutiny following his “Summer of Love” with Latin mistress Maria Belen Chapur.
From the AP brief:
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford faces 37 ethics charges he broke state laws limiting official use of airplanes and involving campaign money.
The details were released Monday by the State Ethics Commission. They came five days after the panel charged the governor without offering any specifics.
Sanford’s lawyers have claimed the charges involve minor and technical aspects of the law.
The charges followed a probe into whether Sanford used state aircraft for personal and political trips, used pricey airline seats despite low-cost travel requirements and reimbursed himself with campaign cash.
And here’s the complete version of Davenport’s story.
FITS attempted to reach Sanford’s office for comment, but our first call was screened and our second call, placed by Ashley Hester, resulted in Sanford communications advisor Barton Swaim hanging up on us.
Viva transparency!
