The numerous conflicts of interest surrounding the various Palmetto politicos who are charged with investigating S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford have some wondering whether or not the U.S. Justice should intervene in the case.
Specifically, the apparent inability of S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster to discharge his duties free from bias and political calculation has the Wall Street Journal asking whether or not it’s time for the feds to step in.
“A federal investigation of Sanford would at least avoid the problem of public perception that (McMaster) is mixing politics and law enforcement,” an article in Tuesday’s online Journal notes.
From the WSJ:
McMaster is running for Governor against Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer, and filing charges against Sanford might elevate Bauer to the very office McMaster seeks, giving his opponent a boost. The AG has rejected calls for a special prosecutor, asserting that “Law enforcement and politics do not mix.”
While he’s right about that, it is the public perception that is just as important …
… The U.S. Department of Justice can step in to take over an investigation when the potential conflicts are just too great for state and local elected prosecutors to handle. While the United States attorneys are political appointees themselves, they are usually at least a few steps removed from local electoral politics. Unlike a sitting AG campaigning for higher office while acting as the state’s chief prosecutor, a U.S. Attorney can’t run for anything while in office.
Man, has McMaster been taking it up the yin-yang from the Wall Street Journal lately or what?
Guess they’ve been studying his track record in high-profile sex cases.
Anyway, the article goes on to note that “there are at least two federal criminal statutes that could be used if charges are appropriate,” and references a pending Supreme Court case that could give the feds an opening to investigate Sanford should they so choose.
Hmmm …
Frankly, we hope they do “so choose.”
Whether it’s the toothless State Ethics Commission (comprised exclusively of Sanford appointees – many of them his campaign donors) or our current joke of an Attorney General, it’s clear at this point that the only way to truly get to the bottom of the Sanford mess is for an entity without a vested interest to get involved.
By Jonny D December 2, 2009 at 9:00 am
One thing is for sure, the Palmetto Scoop will be jumping in any second now and blaming SC’s most innovative and influential “new media” source for planting this material in the WSJ.
By Liberty For Me December 2, 2009 at 9:23 am
This is so stupid.Of all the REAL crooks who dont pay their taxes and get mortgage perks on the side??? Why would Sanford even be in the top 1000 to investigate…..What about ,lets see…the presidents cabinet,barney frank,tim geitner…etc..please this is such a witch hunt and waste of money
By fitsnews December 2, 2009 at 9:34 am
Jonny D-
Maybe we did.
-FITS
By Michael S. Smith II December 2, 2009 at 9:54 am
Bravo!
By 2 cents December 2, 2009 at 10:12 am
It’s hardly a witch hunt. Sanford paid $3000 back for a reason.
I believe the U.S. Dept. of Justice should investigate politics in the entire state of SC. It’s one scandal after another, a lot of the time involving taxpayer dollars.
We continue to fail so terribly as a state because far too many in leadership are too busy covering their rear ends than to do their jobs.
There is a reason for decorum and morality & ethics and far too many SC politicos seem to lack all of them.
By Liberty For Me December 2, 2009 at 10:37 am
2 cents…The point is the known facts.We don’t know the facts with Sanford yet.But at the start the accusations are far less than is happening all over Washington…Do I want ethics violations prosecuted..you bet.But lets start with the most egregious and already proven and work down.Otherwise is hypocritical.Where are all you people wanting them kicked out??
By Don't know what you are talking about December 2, 2009 at 11:27 am
Crooks generally have to make some type of restitution. Paying back the $3,000 does not get Sanford off of the hook for committing an ethic’s violation and or breaking the law! In fact, it is an admission that he did something illegal. It is time for him, Tom Davis, Nicki Haley and Greg Ryberg to bow out of state government. Sanford for breaking the law and the rest for blindly following Sanford and being so dumb to continue to do so!
By TERESA December 2, 2009 at 11:43 am
Could someone PLEASE tell me why that IDIOT did not resign when he was BUSTED at the Airport by that Reporter. All of this unnecessary Bulll…..s…t rangling back and foward when the Idiot Know he ABANDON the People and State of South Carolina….By RESIGNING earlier on he could have saved the State money and further EMBARASSMENT.
By SC Integrity December 2, 2009 at 11:56 am
Sanfraud did not resign because he had “friends” such as Tom Davis and Nikki Haley. By his own words, whatever their worth, Sanfraud insists he was so close to resigning. He had mens rea lol for a flash to do the right thing. If only he had a little help from his friends in those moments we wouldn’t be wasting any of this time and $ now. Someday they’ll have to explain all this to their children too and that’s true punishment, I believe.
I bet we all know what you’re feeling. The nat’l blips on this day in and out makes us all look so stupid. That’s why his friends will be held accountable and I’ll be a true elephant, unlike them, AND NEVER FORGET.
By What? December 2, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Oh sure, having the Obama Justice Department open an investigation into the travel of a sitting Republican governor would surely remove politics from the equation.
By weighing in December 2, 2009 at 3:03 pm
McMaster is a joke. It’s all politics to him and the Quinndom. And when Palmetto Scoop went on TV and said he wasn’t influenced by RQA etc…I about passed out from the sheer retardtedness of that comment.
By Ynot December 2, 2009 at 3:10 pm
The DOJ should step in and they should investigate Sanfraud’s ties to many uninvestigated as of yet things….. because when they don’t… it will hop up and slap em in the face again and again.
Trust me.
The people of South Carolina do not have ALL the facts yet.
By Jeff December 2, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Can anyone say…………..ABSCAM?!?!?
By Michael Bay December 2, 2009 at 8:34 pm
If Henry Bozo the clown is taking this long and using a wait and see attitude then the chances are nothing will be filed against Sanfraud. Any time an investigation is done it is not done by the bosses employees in the real world it is done by an independant source.
By AMAZING December 3, 2009 at 11:18 am
S.C. court rules Sanford probe docs public
South Carolina’s top court ruled the state’s ethics panel must release documents on its probe of Gov. Mark Sanford that were turned over to the governor.
The court’s ruling backed House Speaker Bobby Harrell’s contention that the documents were public, The (Columbia) State reported Thursday. Harrell, a Republican, asked the court to clarify an earlier ruling on the State Ethics Commission documents.
“This court’s opinion of Nov. 5, 2009, unambiguously supports the speaker’s position. We therefore order the commission to immediately make public all documents provided to the Governor during the course of its investigation in the underlying matter,” the court said in its decision Wednesday.
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http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/12/03/SC-court-rules-Sanford-probe-docs-public/UPI-59001259856290/
By political hack December 3, 2009 at 11:33 am
If you want to know how the DOJ handles investigations to combat corruption within the political realm of our great state you may want to check out this case: U.S. v. Taylor, 956 F.Supp 622
Just a little insight there into “Operation Lost Trust.”
I guess everyone feels like Sanford lost the trust of this state because he cheated on his wife? She is probably doing better now because of it than had he not done it. This is pretty much over hyped media garbage. Sanford was actually the only one voicing concerns about what happens when you suck from the government tit and liberty is usurped, but most policticos and fat cats in our General Assembly don’t care as long as the money is flowing, albiet fake ass paper monopoly money that just impoverishes us all, all for the sake of getting on good terms with Washington. Its cool though, Vincent Sheehen will come in and save the day, and get on his knees to get us in the bread line to the Federal Government and try to do a PR job on SC’s history and current debacles.
Either way, the times are here where there is no intelligent arguments being put forward because there are no morals, no values, only political correctness. White is black, black is white and it is supposed to be that way to keep the Sheeple arguing over whether or not a POLITICIAN who was always hated by the General Assembly, was unethical? Easy job up there in Columbia, where the unethical do nothing but talk and spend taxpayer money witchhunting other unethical people.
By scooter December 3, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Investigate,investigate,investigate. Anybody. Everybody. Just somebody hold him accountable. There must be a penalty for all of the bad, stupid and crazy things he keeps doing.
By ohara December 4, 2009 at 11:40 am
By What? on December 2nd, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Oh sure, having the Obama Justice Department open an investigation into the travel of a sitting Republican governor would surely remove politics from the equation.
—–
The Obama Justice Dept under Eric Holder REVERSED the decisions of the BUSH Justice Dept & let Alaska’s Republican senator Stevens off the hook.
Seems to me they could have let that one ride if they wanted to nail a Republican. He was already on his way to jail.