Decision looms on SC Gov. Sanford's impeachment 12/9/2009 12:41 AM Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has said his affair ended his political future, but lawmakers may decide as early as Wednesday whether it should end with impeachment.
Only one of the seven House members who will weigh Sanford's fate Wednesday is saying publicly the governor should be impeached. The other panel members are keeping quiet, and they also have the option of a rebuke through a censure or could do nothing.
The panel began discussing impeachment after Sanford skipped the state for five days in June to rendezvous with his Argentine lover. He returned with a tearful confession that sparked investigations of his travel and spending practices.
Sanford's lawyers have said nothing the governor has done rises to the level of impeachment.
The special panel meets for a fifth time Wednesday.
The impeachment resolution says Sanford was derelict in his duties by not leaving someone in charge of the state in June; caused staff to lie by saying he was hiking the Appalachian Trail and embarrassed the state. But the panel also now is considering whether he abused his office by taking a 2008 trip to Buenos Aires at taxpayer expense and five instances of Sanford using state planes for personal and political purposes.
Rep. Greg Delleney is so far the only panel member to say Sanford should be impeached. The Chester Republican was among the first to call for Sanford to resign and wrote the impeachment resolution.
Delleney hasn't lobbied others on the panel. "I'm just going to let everybody decide what is right. Personally, I know what's right," Delleney said.
State Rep. James Smith, D-Columbia, had drafted an impeachment resolution, but hasn't decided how he'll vote.
Rep. David Weeks, a Sumter Democrat and chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, said he's wrestling with whether Sanford's actions involve serious misconduct. "I think there are enough questions to merit serious consideration of an impeachment resolution on the misconduct issue," Weeks said.
Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Harrison copied Delleney's impeachment resolution, but turned it instead into a censure resolution that would condemn Sanford's actions, but do nothing to force him from office before his second, term-limited stint ends in January 2011. An impeachment would require a two-thirds House vote to suspend Sanford while the Senate weighs his fate; a censure requires only a majority vote.
"Censure is kind of an alternative if you don't think it was impeachable," said Harrison, R-Columbia.
About the only hint Harrison offers is his reading of the state constitution on an issue at the heart of Delleney's resolution: Sanford left no one in charge of the state when he headed to Argentina in June.
Sanford has said he had a "back channel" to stay in touch if needed in an emergency, but he's never disclosed how and his chief of staff filed a sworn statement this week saying he could not reach the governor.
Harrison said the powers that automatically go to the lieutenant governor in the absence of the governor are "probably an issue that's weighing heavy on my mind," Harrison said. That's "a huge impact on that issue. The constitution says that the lieutenant governor can act in the governor's sted in an emergency."
Rep. Walt McLeod, a Prosperity Democrat, is most struck by Sanford's use of the state plane.
"I've just been sort of puzzled about his pattern of casualness about bright-line issues that politicians must know and understand and embrace if you're going to stay out of trouble," McLeod said. "I know that you're not supposed to use the state plane for purely political purposes."
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Posted by: On: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 3:46 PM
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The Standard needs to update its news. He didn't get impeached. He committed no crimes. Therfore it is not an impeachable offense. Of course if someoneelse were srewing around on company time I'm sure they would be shown the door.
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Posted by: On: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 12:22 PM
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Start your moped...your days are finished in this state,you LOSER !!!
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