A new report documenting the controversial “Argentine Leg” that S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford added to a 2008 trade mission to South America was released to members of the media Monday – a day before the trip is scheduled to become the focus of what is likely to be the final meeting of a S.C. House of Representatives impeachment subcommittee.
The report – prepared by at the request of S.C. Rep. Greg Delleney – is actually titled “Regarding the Argentina Leg Governor Mark Sanford Ordered the South Carolina Department of Commerce to Add to South Carolina’s 2008 Trade Mission to Brazil.”
Funny, huh?
Prepared by Charleston reporter Michael Smith II, the report for the most part regurgitates press clippings and other previously published information from the trip, although it does tie a nice bow around the one of the most flagrant examples of Sanford’s abuse of his office – and taxpayer dollars – to facilitate a romantic liaison with his Latin lover, Maria Belen Chapur.
Details of the 2008 trip first surfaced this summer when Sanford made his emotional, nationally-televised confession of infidelity before a packed gallery of reporters at the S.C. State House. The event was notable for Sanford’s bizarre, stream of consciousness rambling, and for the fact that the governor’s wife, First Lady Jenny Sanford, did not “stand by her man.”
Mrs. Sanford later moved the couple’s four children out of the Governor’s Mansion in Columbia, S.C. after attempts at reconciling the marriage failed. She has also shed her wedding ring, declared the couple’s twenty-year marriage to be “over” and reportedly served Sanford with legal papers.
Anyway, Sanford acknowledged that he “crossed the ultimate line” with Chapur on this trip – and subsequently refunded taxpayers for a portion of the costs associated with his travel.
The more the media probed, however, the more obvious it became that the trip to Buenos Aires was less about “economic development” and more about giving the governor some “private time” with his lover.
“Nothing significant has materialized in terms of new trade growth between Argentina and South Carolina that is attributable to the governor’s 2008 meetings there,” the report notes.
Recent editorials have encouraged the House impeachment panel to further investigate the trip.
Our contention here is simple … if Sanford used taxpayer funds (even a nickel) for the purpose of seeing his lover, that’s criminal conduct and he should be removed from office.
WEB EXTRA
14 comments
ALL TIME FUNNIEST HEADLINE. BRILLIANT.
Yeah, GREAT headline FITS.
Sanford should pay back every penny and nickel of taxpayer money he spent.
Thought Argentenian tail was the problem…
Your contention is dubious at best. My contention has much more merit, however, and that is that the Luv Guv had this great tune playing on his iPod as he made his way to Buenos Aires…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN2hntZBIUQ
I ain’t from yer parts, but will someone please impeach that douchebag down there. The crazier he gets — the more fodder he gives the left.
I can’t believe I read the whole thing.
This report is really, really bad. Adds nothing new, other than to say, “I, Michael Smith II, am the only one who asked the tough question about the 2007 statement by Sanford about not pursuing Argentinian trade” and I, Michael Smith II, a copy editor and features blah blah blah am the only one who thinks that Kara Borie is doing more than just issuing SIMPLE press releases.”
FITS, if she worked so tight with th campaign, wouldn’t you know her? What’s the skinny on Kara?
I thought she was with the state GOP during the 2006 campaign season. I remember her issuing some anti-Spratt stuff, in addition to Rob Godfrey’s frequenst missives.
Is she a Sanford girl? Or a GOP party girl?
I’m not saying there’s no substance to the allegation that something was screwy with the Argentinian “leg” of his trip (though that’s not the first time that headline has been used). Just saying this is, as Hannibal Lector would say, a rather “blunnnnnt instrument.”
Yeah sic tell us about kara you moral degenerate.
Sanford’s “Argentine Leg”
“That month, Sanford traveled to Brazil on a state trade mission. He managed to build in a side trip to Buenos Aires.”
“The governor’s agenda includes hours of “personal time” and two dinners where he advises others to have “dinner on your own.” Receipts show he listed no other state officials joining him at El Faro restaurant and el Mosto wine bar – both in the Hilton Buenos Aires, where he stayed for three nights that weekend.”
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jun/29/lt-sc-governor-mistress-062909/?world/mexico&zIndex=124214
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Sanford’s “Argentine Leg”
Raw Video:
Gov. Sanford Passes Through Columbia, SC Airport on his way to Argentina to see Maria Belen Chapur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5plz2_d-Vk
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The disappearance: June 18-22, 2009
“The first sign that the governor was again attempting a disappearing act came on June 18, when he – or someone – disabled the tracking device on the black state-owned SLED SUV he was taking in the direction of the airport.”
Sanfraud disabled the GPS on a SLED vehicle. WOW!
This freak has a criminal mind.
As far as his staff, security detail, and family apparently knew, he was off for a weekend of solitude on the Appalachian Trail. In truth, Sanford was in Argentina.
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/06/29/the-sanford-affair-a-day-by-day-account/
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OhNoNotAgain… instrument is right. spot on actually. think financial instrument please.
would your wife tell you not to see your mistress after she told you that you and your spiritual advisor had permission to see her in NY, go to church and dinner and end it????
come on people.
Press conference speech:
QUESTION: Did your wife and your family know about the affair before the trip to Argentina?
MR. SANFORD: Yeah
QUESTION: Are you —
QUESTION: For how long —
MR. SANFORD: We — we — we’ve been — we’ve been working through this thing for about the last five months. I’ve been to a lot of different — I was part of a group called C Street when I was in Washington. It was a, believe it or not, a Christian Bible study; some folks that asked of members of Congress hard questions that I think were very, very important. And I’ve been working with them.
later Sanford: “”And at that point, we went into serious overdrive in trying to say, “Where do you go from here,” and that’s where the Cubby Culbertsons and the others of the world began to help with, you know, how do you get all this right? How do you, again, be honest?
And so I’ve been back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. And the one thing that you really find is that you absolutely want resolution.
And so oddly enough, I spent the last five days of my life crying in Argentina, so I could repeat it when I came back here in saying, you know, while indeed from a heart level, there was something real, it was a place based on the fiduciary relationship I had, to the people of South Carolina, based on my boys, based on my wife, based on where I was in life, based on where she was in life, a place I couldn’t go and she couldn’t go.
QUOTE ” it was a place based on the fiduciary relationship I had, to the people of South Carolina”
his affair???
Yes indeed his affair.
No leg, no tail… affair is utter BS
I wonder if anyone will investigate his enablers at Commerce? No reason to be down there.
Yep, Groundball, no other states had trade missions to Argentina:
– Alabama http://chile.usembassy.gov/press20080530.html
– Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin http://www.cglg.org/projects/trade/TradeMissions.asp
Take 5 seconds and use Google before showing your ignorance.
Wow Pinky. Maria must have been really busy!
Wow Pinckney!
Thanks for the info on the other gov’s “hitting the trail!” That Maria really does get around doesn’t she?
Wonder what their excuse was as the US government does not sanction trade deals with Argentina since they defaulted on debt & left American farmers holding the bag for millions.
Just how much business DID Sanford bring back from Argentina? Nothing? But he did manage to meet with realtors there-exploring the pampas? A 2nd home? How nice SC could arrange that little trip for him.
That Governor Bob Riley is my idea of a Governor. He certainly did an impressive job for Alabama. Can’t help wondering if MS was trying to do the same as Riley, but couldn’t because he could not lead the legislators and fell in love w/ Maria when he shouldn’t have.
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