Charlie Crist raised $4.3 million in the second fundraising quarter of 2009.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Even in a slumping economy, Charlie Crist is justifying his reputation as a master fundraiser.

The Florida governor raised an average of $86,000 a day since jumping into the race for Mel Martinez's Senate seat in May, his campaign reported Thursday.

Crist collected $4.3 million in donations in the second fundraising quarter of 2009, despite entering the race on May 12 — 41 days into the quarter.

He has so far raised nearly 13 times as much as his Republican primary rival Marco Rubio, who announced last week that his campaign has raised $340,000.

Read the rest of this entry »

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."

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Will closely-watched GOP campaigns in Virginia and New Jersey welcome Sarah Palin?

(CNN) – When Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she was resigning from office, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele issued a statement saying that she "will be very helpful to the Party this year as we wage critical campaigns in Virginia and New Jersey."

But the Republican candidates for governor in those two states are being cagey on whether or not the polarizing Alaskan will be welcome on the campaign trail.

In Virginia, where Bob McDonnell is running in a tight race against Democrat Creigh Deeds, a spokeswoman for McDonnell's campaign would say only: "We have not held or announced any events with governor Palin." The campaign would not say if the 2008 vice presidential nominee had been invited.

But in February, McDonnell campaign manger Phil Cox told CNN that Palin had been offered an invitation to campaign for McDonnell. While Cox said nothing had been finalized, he added in that February conversation that Palin staffers "have indicated the governor wants to help."
Read the rest of this entry »

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."
Read the rest of this entry »

State GOP leaders are weighing their formal response to the ongoing Sanford saga.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – Members of the South Carolina Republican Party will hold a conference call Monday night to discuss how to formally respond to the ongoing Mark Sanford saga.

The state party's executive committee will confer on how to proceed now that the governor has returned to South Carolina following a weekend visit with his family in Florida. Party members could decide to ask for the governor's resignation, or they could settle on the lesser penalty of censuring him for his behavior. They could also choose to do nothing, depending on how the call goes.

The state party chairwoman, Karen Floyd, released two statements last week suggesting that Sanford needs to step down. But despite last week's chorus of Republicans calling for Sanford's resignation, the governor offered no signs that he intends to leave office.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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."

Gov. Mark Sanford’s book deal has officially fallen through.

(CNN) – Gov. Mark Sanford and his publisher have parted ways.

"Sentinel has agreed to release Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina from his contract to write a book about fiscal conservatism, which was to be called WITHIN OUR MEANS and was scheduled for publication in March 2010," said Adrian Zackheim, president and publisher of Sentinel, in a statement released Thursday. "This is a mutual decision. We wish Governor Sanford the best."

Prior to revelations of an extramarital affair that effectively brought an end to his political career, the South Carolina governor had been preparing to publish a book outlining his policy beliefs.

Sentinel, a conservative imprint of Penguin Group, had included the Sanford book in their Spring 2010 catalogue. It was described by the publisher as "a manifesto about fiscal conservatism – why the government needs to spend less and fix the deficit ASAP."

Sanford's office has not commented about the book deal, or about its collapse.

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Jenny Sanford said her husband was writing a book, but the governor's aides are remaining mum.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – Mark Sanford has been working on a book, according to his wife Jenny, but Sanford's political team is so far keeping quiet about it.

Was the book meant to be a platform for Sanford to travel the country in advance of a 2012 presidential bid? No one is saying.

Last Friday, Jenny Sanford told the Associated Press that her husband told her when they separated that he needed to get away to clear his head and work on writing a book. Sanford, though, went to Argentina to visit his mistress against his wife's wishes.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

COLUMBIA (CNN) – Seven more Republicans in the South Carolina Senate are calling on Mark Sanford to resign, including Majority Leader Harvey Peeler.

Late Tuesday, the senators jointly issued a press release demanding that the governor step down because he has lost the trust of South Carolinians.

"The bottom line is that the Governor's private matters should remain private, but his deception and negligence make it impossible for us to trust him, and for him to govern in the future," they wrote.

Peeler told CNN that Sanford "has lost his ability to lead, and I'm afraid he has lost his ability to function as a man."

Read the rest of this entry »

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 after the governor 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 last week from a secret trip to Argentina that his staff and wife didn't know about, the Republican governor admitted to an extramarital affair and said 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. Sanford also told the AP he'd "crossed lines" with other women, although Chapur was the only one he had sex with.

The review by law enforcement officials would be the first formal probe into whether Sanford abused his power while carrying on his affair.

Read the rest of this entry »