By FITSNews || Having settled with state ethics investigators and been cleared by a panel of state lawmakers, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford was told on Tuesday that the state’s top lawyer would not seek criminal charges against him.
“After conducting a thorough investigation, the evidence does not support beyond a reasonable doubt that the governor knowingly, willfully, and intentionally set out to break state law,” S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster said in a statement.
Accordingly, McMaster said that his office “will not bring criminal charges” against Sanford and “considers the matter closed.”
No surprise here … McMaster has been covering for Sanford from the beginning of this so-called investigation, why should he stop now?
As we wrote several months ago, “at every step of this process … political considerations, not facts, ruled the decisions that were eventually made,” and McMaster has been at the forefront of that problem all along. Simply put, he passed the buck not once, but twice at critical stages of the investigation, putting his 2010 gubernatorial aspirations ahead of the public interest.
Sanford, not surprisingly, was jubilant – calling the decision a “reaffirmation” of his administration’s “consistent belief” that it had broken no laws.
“I committed long ago to joining South Carolinians in moving beyond this distraction, and instead focusing my time and efforts on economic development and job creation,” Sanford said in a statement.
For those of you waking up from a year-long coma, Sanford mysteriously disappeared from the state last summer at the conclusion of the 2009 legislative session. After telling his staff that he was “hiking the Appalachian trail,” Sanford was busted days later at the Atlanta airport by Gina Smith of The State newspaper. Smith was acting on an anonymous tip that the governor was actually in Argentina, not hiking the trail (an interesting back story, in case you’ve never heard it).
Anyway, when Smith caught Sanford getting off of a plane from Buenos Aires, the drama was on.
At a bizarre State House press conference on the afternoon of June 24, Sanford admitted having an affair with his Argentine lover, Maria Belen Chapur, and lying to his family, staff and citizens of the state about his whereabouts. Days later, just when it appeared the scandal had died down, Sanford granted an ill-fated interview with the Associated Press in which he called Chapur his “soul mate,” admitted “crossing lines” with other women and said that he was trying to “fall back in love” with his wife – who ended up moving out of the governor’s mansion in August, divorcing him in March and hooking up with her new boyfriend last month.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Sanford received first-class plane ticket upgrades in violation of state policy, misused the state plane for personal and political reasons and failed to report numerous airplane flights that were provided to him by friends and political allies.
Most incriminating, however, is the fact that Sanford returned roughly $3,000 of tax money that was spent during a 2008 trip to Argentina. This trip – as far as anyone can tell – was set up for the exclusive purpose of facilitating a liaison between the governor and his Latin lover, with taxpayer resources being spent not only on the governor’s travel, but on setting up a few meetings to make the trip appear to have a legitimate purpose.
From where we sit, that’s not only an “impeachment-worthy” offense, but evidence of criminal conduct as well.
Of course, if Sanford had any shame, he would have recognized the hypocrisy of his actions and stepped down instead of returning the money, sparing the state a six-month spectacle.
Clearly, though – he has no shame. And for that matter, neither does McMaster.
Today’s decision by the Attorney General to officially “close the book” on the Sanford investigation is yet another sad reminder that nothing in South Carolina is ever decided based on the merits … only the politics.
Accordingly, rather than ending an embarrassing chapter in our state’s history, McMaster’s decision has merely added to one.
By Mike Traynor May 3, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Henry is a sell-out. No balls. He is deathly afraid of letting Andre get any political advantage.
What a freaking wimp.
By SubZeroIQ May 3, 2010 at 3:20 pm
FITS: The main political ads I see on your page are from McMaster. Are you biting the hand that feeds you? Are still dreaming that Sanford will voluntarily step down, Bauer becomes Governor and is held to his promise to not seek election, and Haley just glides in?
Or have you been converted by my “merits is the opposite of politics” brief which I e-mailed you and which was so brilliant that you know who was too afraid to even file it?
In any event, don’t put your faith in people but in ideas and visions.
By Admiral_Komack May 3, 2010 at 3:52 pm
“Sanford, not surprisingly, was jubilant – calling the decision a “reaffirmation” of his administration’s “consistent belief” that it had broken no laws.”
“I committed long ago to joining South Carolinians in moving beyond this distraction, and instead focusing my time and efforts on economic development and job creation,” Sanford said in a statement.
-How’s that economic development and job creation working out for you,
Mark?
Or do you have to go to Argentina for some “stimulus”?
Henry McMaster: What a fucking tool…oops, sorry, Mark is the fucking tool.
Henry McMaster: What a douche.
By Gillon May 3, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Nice photo: “Dumb and Dumber”
By Cancerman May 3, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Two of South Carolin’s biggest fuckups right there in that pic!!!!!
By Reginald May 3, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Much as it pains me to say it – Lucid and well written.
We’ve known that Sanford has no ethics. Now we know without a doubt that McMaster has no ethics, and no backbone.
What I can’t understand is how these clowns can come out in public and spew this garbage? Are they that stupid? Or just assume we are?
By kyle May 3, 2010 at 7:20 pm
What I want to know is if somebody filed a FOIA today to find out how much this “witch hunt” cost joe six pack and willie weed smoker? Because this was absolutely one of the biggest wastes of tax payer dollars I have ever seen!
By Huhhh??? May 3, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Fits, how many times has Henry brought public corruption cases before the State Grand Jury? I’m sure you know somebody who knows.
By BOYSMOM May 3, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Well, McMaster has cooked his goose and will not become governor…He has at least lost my vote.. and many others I am sure. Hope you are being paid good for this one.
By Todd May 3, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Huhhh???: The answer is zero. McMaster has had the goods on the Queen for more than 2 years, but has done nothing. Nothing. He is scared to death of her. Not to mention, one of his main attorney staff people is poking one of her main attorney staff people …. Sheesh. Like everybody up here on the Gervais – Assembly – Pendleton – Sumter Street block don’t know that. In their defense, they claim they have stopped it…. whatever.
By south mauldin May 3, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Will,
Thanks for foisting this piece of shit governor onto us, and fuck everybody on this board for voting to reelect him. If you couldn’t see through his bs, you deserve him. And McMaster will be more of the same.
By Better B Glad May 3, 2010 at 9:24 pm
mmmmmmm did governor Sanford pay 75,000.00 in fines for a reason……I say yes…”buying” down the offense means decreasing the monetary value of the criminal offense……yes it’s true……look at state and federal sentencing and investigative damage tactics and practices….if you commit an offense of a monetary damage and pay back the perceived monetary damage….authorities view this as a no harm no foul crime…..still stinks like sh*t to me!!!!
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By Ynotfirst May 4, 2010 at 7:22 am
Henry and Mark still have a secret. Others know it too.
By colleen May 4, 2010 at 8:45 am
Guess we will never know!!
By MoJoe May 4, 2010 at 2:38 pm
This guy Mark Sanford got away with everything. He must really be happy now that all the bruhaha associated with his tangoing with Maria Chapur in Argentina behind him, not to mention the divorce he got from Jenny, which he wanted to happen all along. So with him back to some sort of a clean slate, would it be time for him to bring out Maria Chapur in the open by asking her to join him in South Carolina?
By Scooter May 4, 2010 at 8:23 pm
What a bad mistake. Makes me ill. who cold vote for McMaster, now?