By FITSNews || A Charleston, S.C. family court judge will grant South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford a divorce from her philandering husband, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford, on the grounds of adultery.
Mrs. Sanford appeared in court in the Holy City on Friday morning – an appearance which was televised nationally by Court TV – to explain her reasons for divorcing the governor, which she is required to do by law.
The divorce agreement was sealed, however, in an effort to protect the couple’s four children.
“The dissolution of a 20-year marriage is not a cause for celebration,” Mrs. Sanford said Friday. “It’s a sad occasion.”
Huh?
Was anybody actually celebrating this divorce? Well … except perhaps as a long-overdue end to this nonsense (we hope)?
Anyway, the reasons behind the divorce petition are patently obvious to the millions of Americans who have followed the Sanford saga since last June, when the governor mysteriously disappeared from the state following the 2009 legislative session – and then lied to the public about his whereabouts.
Sanford returned several days later and admitted his infidelity in a bizarre, rambling press conference at the State Capitol building in Columbia, S.C. Days later, the governor referred to his Latin lover, Maria Belen Chapur, as his soul mate in a disastrous AP interview.
The affair almost cost Sanford his job – as subsequent investigations into his travel practices revealed a host of ethical abuses. The governor was spared impeachment, however, as political calculations by the elected officials seeking to replace him took precedence over the substance of the charges against him.
Also, Sanford pledged to “walk humbly” with Republican leaders in the S.C. General Assembly, who have long been his ideological opponents – prompting speculation regarding a backroom deal between the governor and his GOP antagonists.
For her part, Mrs. Sanford publicly exited the Governor’s Mansion last August (with the couple’s four children) after attempts at reconciling her the marriage proved fruitless. She then filed for divorce last December, which the governor declined to contest.
Sanford did not appear in court Friday, and his office blasted out the same statement it circulated two months ago when the First Lady’s filing was first made public.
Earlier this month, Mrs. Sanford’s book Staying True was released – and she embarked on a media blitz in support of the book.
WEB EXTRA
Mark and Jenny Sanford: These Attention Whores Want Privacy?
Pic: AP/Alice Keeney
By James the Foot Soldier February 26, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Didn’t even attend his own divorce??
WTF – what a coward.
p.s….hell hath no fury like an estrogen shorted “family” law attorney.
By Have you seen Mike Hunt February 26, 2010 at 4:52 pm
I seem to remember the one sitting next to her as being in the Planet of the Apes movies.
By justme February 26, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Divorce agreement was not sealed. Judge took that motion under advisement. It was requested that it be sealed to protect the couple’s children.
By Lilly Collette February 27, 2010 at 8:11 am
My only concern in the Sanford escapade is in observing whether or not the “law” was followed in their divorce. The main targets on my radar are the officers of this court and how they perform.
The Sanford’s had to submit a “written agreement signed by both parties” for the court to review and rule on.
Mrs. Sanford filed for the divorce and therefore was required by law to “testify on the record” about the reasons for the divorce. One has to “raise their issues to the court for a ruling”.
Those matters of law were plainly followed in this case.
The issue for me is how this very court wantonly ignored these same laws in case file number 87-DR-10-0294?
Jenny Sanford, first lady of South Carolina, was herein required to follow the law.
Susan Lee Rice (case file no.: 87-DR-10-0294) was NOT required to follow the same laws in the same court.
GO FIGURE …
This court’s willful wanton refusal to address the obvious issue of extrinsic fraud upon the court committed by officers of this very court obviously will not make this matter go away. All it morally / ethically can do is provoke continuing comments against the outrage.
By by annie February 27, 2010 at 1:33 pm
What does anyone know about Mark Sanford being named in another divorce petition as the “other party” that contributed to the disolution of that marriage – one of his “other women?” – all being hushed up but maybe that’s why it is requested that these divorce records be “sealed”-our luvgov has sure been busy the last couple of years and not with state business that’s for sure-Maria you’d better rethink things!!
By shiya February 28, 2010 at 1:27 am
Annie…any more info on that???
By Doris March 1, 2010 at 7:48 am
Annie: What county?