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(CNN) – South Carolina's attorney general said Thursday he expects a report showing whether Gov. Mark Sanford used any public money on private travels to be released soon.

Attorney General Henry McMaster, a Republican who plans to run for governor in 2010, called for an investigation into Sanford's travel records after the governor admitted he had visited his mistress more times than he previously disclosed.

After disappearing for nearly a week, Sanford admitted last week that he'd been in Argentina with his mistress. The Republican governor later confessed that he'd seen Maria Belen Chapur several times in the past year, and that he'd also "crossed lines" with other women.

"This thing has been swirling around here for some time now, and questions have been raised all over the place. So, we thought the best thing to do, given the information that had come forward in unanswered questions, I asked the state law enforcement division to look into it," McMaster said on CNN's American Morning.

He said a report could come as early as Thursday, or as late as next week.

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – The Attorney General of South Carolina on Tuesday asked the state law enforcement division to review Gov. Mark Sanford's travel records now that he has admitted to more visits with his mistress than previously disclosed.

"In light of the governor's disclosure of additional travel today, I have requested that SLED conduct a preliminary review of all Governor Sanford's travel records to determine if any laws have been broken or any state funds misused," Attorney General Henry McMaster said in a statement.

After returning from a secret trip to Argentina unknown to his staff or wife last week, Sanford acknowledged having an extramarital affair, and said that he had seen his mistress three times in the past year. But he told The Associated Press on Tuesday he had met with Maria Belen Chapur seven times, including five visits in the past 12 months.

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South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster has been accused of playing politics by failing to investigate Gov. Mark Sanford.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) - A Democrat in the South Carolina House of Representatives is accusing Republican Attorney General Henry McMaster of putting his own personal ambitions before the law by failing to launch an investigation into whether Gov. Mark Sanford misused state money and abused his power by traveling to Argentina to visit his mistress.

State Rep. Boyd Brown had written to McMaster last week asking him to empanel a state Grand Jury too examine those questions. State Sen. Jake Knotts, a Republican and Sanford opponent, also asked for the State Law Enforcement Division to investigate the governor.

On Friday, however, McMaster - who is running for governor in 2010 - issued a statement indicating an initial reluctance to launch an investigation. "I hope all sides will resist attempting to use the investigative and prosecutorial powers of law enforcement for political purposes," McMaster said. "Mixing politics and law enforcement is never a good idea."

Brown called the latter assumption "absurd."

"The duty of the Attorney General is to bring charges against and investigate the wrongdoings of elected officials," he told CNN.

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