Legislators of both parties say impeachment is an unlikely option.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — With Gov. Mark Sanford showing no sign that he plans to quit, there may only be one option left for critics who want him gone: impeachment.

But legislators on both sides of the aisle in South Carolina believe that the chances of ousting Sanford with an impeachment vote are slim, unless new evidence arises showing that the governor broke the law or abused his power by secretly leaving the state to visit his mistress.

Democrats, long in the minority in both the state House and Senate, won't have the votes to pass such a measure by themselves when the legislature reconvenes in January. And Republicans appear to have little appetite for another embarrassing political mess, especially in an election year.

Perhaps most importantly, members of both parties say that for the time being, there is little evidence that Sanford did anything impeachable.

"If he decides to open his mouth again, and starts telling us about other revelations, then maybe something will come up," said Democratic state Rep. Boyd Brown. "But right now I don't see it."

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Legislators of both parties say impeachment is an unlikely option.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — With Gov. Mark Sanford showing no sign that he plans to quit, there may only be one option left for critics who want him gone: impeachment.

But legislators on both sides of the aisle in South Carolina believe that the chances of ousting Sanford with an impeachment vote are slim, unless new evidence arises showing that the governor broke the law or abused his power by secretly leaving the state to visit his mistress.

Democrats, long in the minority in both the state House and Senate, won't have the votes to pass such a measure by themselves when the legislature reconvenes in January. And Republicans appear to have little appetite for another embarrassing political mess, especially in an election year.

Perhaps most importantly, members of both parties say that for the time being, there is little evidence that Sanford did anything impeachable.

"If he decides to open his mouth again, and starts telling us about other revelations, then maybe something will come up," said Democratic state Rep. Boyd Brown. "But right now I don't see it."

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The fallout from Gov. Mark Sanford's affair caps months of decline for the second-term governor.

(CNN) – It was late December 2007, and all eyes were on South Carolina.

As the state's Republican presidential primary neared, a crowded field of contenders sought the backing of their party's rising star, but Gov. Mark Sanford pledged to stay neutral in what was then a wide-open GOP race.

Fast-forward nearly 18 months later, and even Sanford's closest allies are distancing themselves from him after he admitted to an extramarital affair with a woman from Argentina.

A week ago, some observers said they thought Sanford's resignation was inevitable. But the Republican governor has made it clear that he's not going to step down, and some now say he might be able to hang onto his job.

"My hope is and continues to be that he can reconcile with his family and repair the damage done to his family and with the constituents of South Carolina and can finish out his term," Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said, The State newspaper reported. "That is still my belief, and that is still my hope, and I believe that is possible."

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The South Carolina Republican Party formally reprimanded Mark Sanford on Monday.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – After nearly four hours of deliberation and multiple rounds of balloting, the South Carolina Republican Party voted Monday night to censure Mark Sanford for secretly traveling overseas to visit his mistress — but stopped short of calling on the governor to resign.

Members of the state party's executive committee approved a resolution censuring Sanford for conduct that demonstrated "repeated failures to act in accordance" with the party's core principles and beliefs, according to GOP sources who were on the party conference call during the vote.

The resolution also reprimands the governor for "falling below the standards expected of Republican elected officials."

Although the resolution declares that Sanford "has breached the public's trust and confidence in his ability to effectively perform the duties of his office," it does not explicitly ask him to step down.

No sitting governor has ever been censured by the South Carolina Republican Party.

"We must hold true to our core beliefs and recommit to being Republican now more than ever before," party chairwoman Karen Floyd said in a statement. "And now is the time for healing for our great state."

Sanford's office released a statement shortly after the vote.

"The governor fully appreciates the party's position, and he intends to work diligently to earn back its trust," said Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer.

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Mark Sanford is resisting calls for his resignation.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – After spending the holiday weekend with his family in Florida, Mark Sanford is apparently intent on fighting off calls for his resignation and staying in office, according to one South Carolina Republican who spoke with the governor on Monday.

Richard Yow, a member of the South Carolina Republican Party executive committee from Chesterfield County, received a phone call from Sanford on Monday afternoon. Yow said he spoke to the embattled governor for ten minutes, during which Sanford asked Yow for his forgiveness.

Yow said he told Sanford he could forgive him, but he told the governor that he should resign for the sake of the state and his family. Sanford, he said, rejected the idea.

"He said resigning would be the easy way out," Yow told CNN.

"He told me just like he told everybody else, that he didn't think resigning was the thing was to do," Yow said. "He did a lot of listening, and saying a lot of, 'I know you how you feel.' He hated that he has caused so much trouble for his family and friends and the state. I told him, it's not just trouble, it's a tragedy."
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Gov. Mark Sanford will return to South Carolina on Sunday after spending the weekend with his family in Florida.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — Gov. Mark Sanford will return to South Carolina on Sunday after spending two days with his wife and four boys in Florida, according to his office.

Sanford departed Columbia on Friday.

The visit marked the first time Sanford has seen his wife in person since he revealed to the Associated Press that his mistress is a “soul mate” and that he had “crossed lines” with other women.

Jenny Sanford released a statement Thursday calling Sanford’s actions “inexcusable,” but she left the door open to reconciling with her husband.

“The real issue now is one of forgiveness,” she said. “I am willing to forgive Mark for his actions.”

‘Gov. Mark Sanford will spend the July 4 holiday in Florida with his family.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — Gov. Mark Sanford has left the governor's mansion and is on his way to visit his family in Florida, his office said Friday.

Sanford departed the mansion, where he has spent much of the last 48 hours, in the passenger seat of a state vehicle.

Sanford will spend the holiday weekend with his wife and their four boys.

"The Sanford family asks members of the media to respect their privacy while they are together this weekend," his spokesman said in a statement yesterday. "The Sanford's also hope to take a longer family vacation toward the end of July."

The trip marks the first time Sanford has spent time with his wife since he revealed to the Associated Press that his mistress is a "soul mate" and that he had "crossed lines" with other women.

Jenny Sanford released a statement Thursday calling Sanford's actions "inexcusable," but she left the door open to reconciling with her husband.

"The real issue now is one of forgiveness," she said in a statement. "I am willing to forgive Mark for his actions."

SC Gov. Mark Sanford has been asked to repair the ‘serious damage’ he has done to state fundraising efforts.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – Former South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson is calling on Gov. Mark Sanford to cut a check from his campaign war chest to help repair the "serious damage" he has done to Republican fundraising efforts in the state.

Sanford, a prodigious fundraiser, is sitting on nearly $1.69 million in his gubernatorial election account, and he still has roughly $128,000 in his congressional account, according to his most recent campaign finance reports. New financial reports are due later this month.

But now that Sanford's political career has collapsed, his money is in limbo.

Under South Carolina law, Sanford could technically hang on to that money by transferring it to a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization of his choice or to a state-level political action committee.

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – For the second day in a row, South Carolina GOP chairwoman Karen Floyd suggested the time has come for Mark Sanford to resign.

Floyd issued a statement Thursday after the State Law Enforcement Division concluded that Sanford had not misused public funds while visiting his mistress over the last year.

"I have confidence in the findings of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division," Floyd said. "But the fact remains that there is clearly a growing view that the time may have come for Governor Sanford to remove himself and his family from the limelight, so that he can devote his efforts full-time to repairing the damage in his personal life."

(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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Sanford has brushed aside calls for his resignation.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford remains "defiant" in the face of calls for him to resign in the wake of his admission last week that he engaged in an extramarital affair, a close Sanford ally tells CNN.

The source, a South Carolina Republican, said Sanford showed no signs Wednesday of stepping down even as support for from longtime backers begins to slip. The GOP source, who has known the governor for decades and spoke freely about the situation on the condition of anonymity, said there are concerns among Sanford allies about his ability to lead the state, given the recent public comments about his wife and mistress.

The source said he hopes that Sanford will leave office on his own, but suggested the governor could go down fighting.

"Honestly, I think he could go down in the ugliest, messiest way," said the source, who added that he would be "shocked if [the governor] quit, because it doesn't fit his profile."

The source pointed to the governor's history of going it alone against his own party in Washington as a congressman and during his time as governor, most recently over the federal stimulus money fight.

"He has always been a guy who has stuck with what he believes in, even if everyone else is against him," the source said.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – South Carolina State Rep. Nikki Haley, who has been widely viewed as both as a supporter of Gov. Mark Sanford and his likely pick as his replacement in next year's gubernatorial race, joined the chorus of Republican voices Wednesday urging the GOP governor to consider resignation.

"For the past five years I have worked with Mark Sanford trying to restructure our backward system of government and make our state more accountable and taxpayer-friendly. During that time I have also been fortunate to know Jenny, and have developed a tremendous admiration and respect for her. In the context of those two things, there are no words to describe the disappointment I feel over the revelations of the past week.

"The people of South Carolina have heard enough about the governor's personal life. We do not need to hear any more of that. What we do need to hear from the governor is an explanation as to how he can lead our state going forward. He has a responsibility to outline what he wants to accomplish over the next 18 months and how he intends to accomplish it. I remain willing to listen to that case, but if he cannot make it convincingly, then he must move on."

Because of her close ties to Sanford — both take advice from the same Washington-based political consultant, Jon Lerner — Haley has been forced to walk a fine line in responding to the Sanford scandal.

After news of Sanford's affair broke last week, Haley's campaign team was caught removing a large photo of Sanford from her Web site — a move that was quickly seized upon by her Republican rivals in the 2010 race.

Details regarding Gov. Mark Sanford’s book deal are expected to be revealed later this week.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — Prior to revelations of an extramarital affair that effectively brought an end to his political career, Mark Sanford was preparing to publish a book outlining his policy beliefs, his publisher told CNN Wednesday.

Sentinel, a conservative imprint of Penguin Group, has included a book by Sanford entitled "Within Our Means" in their Spring 2010 catalogue, the proofs of which have already been sent to the printers. It was described by the publisher as "a manifesto about fiscal conservatism — why the government needs to spend less and fix the deficit ASAP."

That was before Sanford's life changed forever. Sentinel associate publisher Will Weisser told CNN Wednesday that the company will "most likely" make an announcement about the book's fate later this week.

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — South Carolina Republican Party Chairwoman Karen Floyd seemed to suggest Wednesday that the time had come for Gov. Mark Sanford to consider resigning from office:

"For the past two days, I have been speaking with Republican leaders across South Carolina," she said in a statement. "There is clearly a growing view that the time may have come for Governor Sanford to remove himself and his family from the limelight, so that he can devote his efforts full-time to repairing the damage in his personal life."

Floyd has spent much of the last week talking privately with state GOP leaders about the scandal but has, until now, been publicly silent on whether Sanford should step down.

Floyd wasn't the only prominent South Carolina Republican to speak up on Wednesday. The Senate's powerful Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell also suggested that Sanford should leave the office. McConnell said Sanford "has lost the support of the people that is needed to govern."

While he didn't make an outright demand for Sanford to go, he asked the governor "to do the right thing for himself, his family and our state." If Sanford resigns and lieutenant governor Andre Bauer becomes governor, McConnell would then be promoted to lieutenant governor.

However, McConnell is one of the most powerful legislators in the state and people close to him say he would likely be reluctant to give up that position in order to take Bauer's spot.

A total of 14 GOP South Carolina state senators have called for Mark Sanford’s resignation.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA (CNN) — The resignation drumbeat continued in South Carolina on Wednesday, where GOP state senators continued to call for Gov. Mark Sanford to step down.

CNN has learned GOP Senators Daniel Verdin, Shane Martin and Wes Hayes joined the anti-Sanford chorus on Wednesday morning, bringing the total number of Republican senators calling for the governor's resignation to 12. (Update: GOP state senator Ronnie Cromer and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell also called for Sanford's resignation Wednesday afternoon, bringing the total to 14.) There are 27 Republicans in the state senate.

Sanford's support among legislators and grassroots leaders in the state eroded considerably on Tuesday after Sanford told the Associated Press he had met with his mistress more times than he had previously disclosed. He also admitted to dalliances with other women.

At least four county GOP chairman have also called for Sanford to go.

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A new CNN poll reveals that 54 percent of Americans believe S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford should resign.

(CNN) — A new national poll suggests that a majority of Americans think South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford should resign from office.

Sanford has admitted to a year long extramarital affair with a woman from Argentina. Last Wednesday the governor also acknowledged he did not tell his staff that he was in Argentina during a five-day period when his location was not known.

Fifty-four percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday think Sanford should step down, with 44 percent saying he should continue to serve as South Carolina governor. Sanford has a year and a half left in his second term as governor. He's term limited and can't run for re-election.

"There is virtually no difference between Republicans and Democrats on this matter," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Fifty-one percent of Democrats and 54 percent of Republicans want Sanford to step down."

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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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An influential South Carolina newspaper published an editorial Tuesday that said Gov. Mark Sanford should not step down.

(CNN) — Two major South Carolina newspapers are calling on Gov. Mark Sanford to stay in office.

Last Wednesday, Sanford admitted to a year long extramarital affair with a woman from Argentina. The governor also acknowledged he did not tell his staff that he was in Argentina during a five-day period when his location was not known.

Despite calls from some South Carolina lawmakers and politicians for the governor to resign, Sanford, meanwhile, appears to be standing firm. He wrote in a message to his political action committee e-mail list on Monday that while he considered resigning, "I would ultimately be a better person and of more service in whatever doors God opened next in life if I stuck around to learn lessons rather than running and hiding down at the farm."

The State, the Columbia newspaper that last week broke the story that Sanford was in Argentina, in an editorial Tuesday, says Sanford should stay in office to keep the playing field leveled for the 2010 gubernatorial contest. If Sanford resigns, Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, a fellow Republican but no ally of Sanford, would become governor. Bauer is among a number of candidates who are interested in running for governor in 2010. Sanford is term limited and can't run for re-election next year.

"Reasonable people can disagree over whether it would be better to have Mr. Sanford or Mr. Bauer in the governor's office for the next 18 months. And if Mr. Bauer were not running for governor, this might be a more difficult call. But Mr. Bauer is running for governor, and it simply is not responsible to overlook the tremendous advantage he would have if he were able to use the bully pulpit of that office for the next year," says an op-ed in The State.

The State also raised serious questions about Bauer's preparedness to lead. "Although this could change in the coming year," they wrote, "to this point Mr. Bauer simply has not demonstrated that he has the vision to lead our state.

The editorial questioned Bauer's character and highlighted past run-ins with law enforcement, including the time he used a police radio to waive off state troopers after he was caught driving 101 MPH on a South Carolina highway in a state car.
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Gov. Mark Sanford has said it's better for him to keep his governorship to 'learn lessons.'

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford met with his Argentinian mistress more times than he originally admitted, Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer confirmed Tuesday.

After returning from a secret trip to Argentina unknown to his staff or wife last week, Sanford admitted to an extramarital affair, and said that he had seen his mistress three times in the past year.

But he told The Associated Press he had met with Maria Belen Chapur seven times, including five visits in the past 12 months.

Two of their meetings in the past year included multiple-night stays in New York, Sanford told the AP.

Sanford told the AP he met with Chapur a third time in New York on what was intended to be a goodbye visit. Sanford was accompanied by his spiritual adviser, the AP reported.

Sanford also told the AP of what he said were two non-romantic encounters — including their first meeting in 2001 in Uruguay and getting coffee in New York during the 2004 Republican National Convention.

"There was some kind of connection from the very beginning," he said to the AP.

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – One of Mark Sanford's conservative allies in the South Carolina state Senate is now saying the governor should step down.

Republican Larry Grooms, who is also running for governor in 2010, told CNN Tuesday that Sanford "is incapable of leading because of his behavior."

Unlike many of his colleagues in the chamber — most of whom have remained silent on the resignation question — Grooms has been a supporter of Sanford's fiscally conservative agenda in the senate. But Grooms said he told Sanford by phone last Thursday that he thought the governor should resign. Sanford said he disagreed.

"He indicated he believed that his only chance for redemption was to stay in office," Grooms said. "To me that doesn't serve any purpose well. That doesn't serve the people. It's not about him, it's about governing the people of the state."
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