Quote:
Originally Posted by DaemonSeid
I think one of my questions is getting answered....whose money he spent to go and this looks like this was for last year's trip:
COLUMBIA, S.C. — One day after admitting an affair, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford reunited with his wife and sons and announced he will reimburse the state for a trip he took last year in which he met his Argentinean mistress.
Sanford said he "made a mistake" in seeing the woman last June during a trade mission to Brazil and Argentina. State records indicate he spent more than $8,000 in airfare, lodging and meals. The governor's spokesman, Joel Sawyer, said Thursday that Sanford will pay back the money spent in Argentina. Sawyer had said earlier that no state resources were used.
Republican state Sen. Jake Knotts called for an investigation. "That's like a bank robber getting caught and wanting to return the money," Knotts said. "He should strongly consider resigning."
Sanford resigned Wednesday as chairman of the Republican Governors Association but said he'd "let the chips fall where they may" otherwise. He spent Thursday at his family's beach house near Charleston after spending Father's Day weekend in Buenos Aires.
Knotts said the use of taxpayer money was too much to accept from a onetime presidential contender who made his name as a staunch fiscal conservative.
link |
Now my question is answered...
Aside from the damage done to his standing as a social conservative, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s recent admission of an extramarital affair may end up tarnishing another of his political credentials — his carefully honed reputation as a tightfisted steward of taxpayer money.
A POLITICO analysis of hundreds of pages of state travel records requested to explore the circumstances of his affair found that in his 6 1/2 years as governor, Sanford traveled frequently and in a style markedly at odds with his political persona.
The records detail more than $468,000 worth of state-funded travel for Sanford and show that he routinely billed taxpayers for high-end airline seats, racking up more than $44,000 on business- and first-class tickets. He often stayed in pricey hotels that far exceeded the rates he imposed on other state employees.
Link