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S.C. 1st lady may forgive Sanford
7/3/2009 12:39 AM   7 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend

COLUMBIA -- South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford says she may be able to forgive her husband's much-publicized affair with an Argentine woman, but true reconciliation will take more time.

In a statement e-mailed to reporters Thursday, Jenny Sanford called her husband's behavior inexcusable but said she may be able to give him another chance. It was her first public remark since Gov. Mark Sanford told The Associated Press that Maria Belen Chapur is his soul mate but he is trying to fall back in love with his wife.

"Forgiveness opens the door for Mark to begin to work privately, humbly and respectfully toward reconciliation with me," she said. "However, to achieve true reconciliation will take time, involve repentance and will not be easy."

Mark Sanford's spokesman, Joel Sawyer, said the governor will travel today to be with his family in Florida, where his in-laws live.

The embattled Republican brushed aside calls for his resignation as state law enforcement officials announced that an investigation found he had used no taxpayer money on trips to New York and Argentina where he saw Chapur.

Jenny Sanford found out about the affair in January, but it didn't become public until Mark Sanford announced it at an emotional news conference last week following a secret trip to Buenos Aires. His wife told The Associated Press that he had repeatedly asked permission to go to Argentina to visit his mistress, but she said no. He went anyway, telling his staff he was planning to hike the Appalachian Trail.

The Sanfords have been separated for several weeks. In her statement Thursday, Jenny Sanford offered no opinion on her husband's political future, saying it is up to South Carolina voters and elected officials to decide whether they can "give Mark another chance."

"Mark showed a lack of judgment in his recent actions as governor," she said. "However, his far more egregious offenses were committed against God, the institutions of marriage and family, our boys and me."

Sawyer would not say where the Sanfords will stay in Florida or how long they will be together. He asked the media to respect their privacy.

Several cars with South Carolina license plates were seen Thursday coming in and out of the gated community in Hobe Sound, Fla., where Jenny Sanford's family lives.

Passengers in a few vehicles covered their faces as they passed. A man and a woman who identified themselves as friends of Jenny Sanford stopped and gave the first lady's statement to an AP reporter there, but would not comment further.

As he prepared to fly along with a security detail to meet his family, Sanford also released his personal travel records to the media, though he did not include information from his most recent trip to Argentina. He has maintained he did not use taxpayer money to finance his trysts, which the investigation backed up, said State Law Enforcement Division Chief Reggie Lloyd.

"What he did on his own private time is not illegal," Lloyd said.

Chapur and Sanford met at an open air dance spot in Uruguay in 2001 and their relationship became physical during an economic development trip Sanford took to South America in June 2008. In between, the governor told AP, they exchanged e-mails but saw each other only once, a coffee date during the Republican National Convention in 2004.

Sanford has already given the state treasurer two personal checks totaling $3,300 to pay for part of the 2008 economic development trip. He saw Chapur four times after that -- the most recent trip to Argentina, plus three visits in New York in between. The last of those, with a spiritual adviser, was sanctioned by Jenny Sanford and was supposed to be the last time Mark Sanford and Chapur saw each other.

Sanford arranged one of the meetings in New York -- a November tryst in the Hamptons -- by adding a three-day stopover in New York to a flight from Ireland to South Carolina. He had been traveling abroad on behalf of the Republican Governor's Association, which he headed from that same month until last week. The records he released show he paid for that part of the trip with his personal credit card.

Sanford also arrived in Manhattan a day before another RGA function in September to visit Chapur; his wife flew in the following day.

The political group learned Thursday that Sanford had used its functions as an opportunity to meet his mistress, said RGA Communications Director Mike Schrimpf.

"Like everyone else, we had absolutely no idea of how he planned to spend his personal time at the conclusion of the trips," he said.

Though law enforcement has cleared Sanford, he is likely to face plenty more fallout from his recent revelations. Publisher Sentinel, a dedicated conservative imprint within Penguin Group (USA) Inc., announced Thursday that it has terminated Sanford's deal to write a book on fiscal conservatism.

But most difficult, his wife said, will be making things right with her and their four sons.

"Actions have consequences and he will be dealing with those consequences for a long while," Jenny Sanford said. "Trust has been broken and will need to be rebuilt. Mark will need to earn back that trust, first and foremost with his family, and also with the people of South Carolina."

------

Associated Press writers Tamara Lush, Jim Davenport, Jeffrey Collins, Seanna Adcox and Brett J. Blackledge in Columbia and Brian Skoloff in Hobe Sound, Fla., contributed to this report.



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  7 comment(s) on this story

:  7/4/2009

Ok, now the old carpetbagger from Wisconsin RYBERG finally crawls out of his hole to offer support to his pal "THE LUV GUV", and states that he Sanford should remain in office and the people of South Carolina must put this behind us! Wait a minute something just doesn't add up here. The costs of Sanford's trips to his "BOMBSHELL" are really costing us "MUCHO DINERO" . Very interesting story in The State's morning edition. $4,000 for Sanford's flight alone to go on a "Dove Hunt" and then he disappears for few days on another "hunt". $1,100 for hotel rooms for a couple of nights, I guess Sanford who is a "cheap SOB" really put on "the dawg" for his sweetie. Sorry RYBERG this just doesn't add up. There is more to come.

:  7/3/2009

Jane the only one "Crying for Argentina" is your dear friend the "LUV GUV". Apparently he can't make up his mind whehter he wants to stop banging the BUENOS AIRES BOMBHELL or stay with Lady Jennie. Forget the poor kids. It's all about the three "grownups". Jane do you think that you can get Sanford a job at one of the ranches through one of connection in Argentina? Hmmm that would save the taxpayers a lot of time and money. Think about.

:  7/3/2009

Now it's Palin resigning! What's with it the repubs? duhmint shoots his bazoo off regarding Honduras, which is none of our business. Sanford can't make his mind up whether to keep banging the "Buenos Aires Bombshell" or save his marriage. Did he ever have one? Lindsey Graham is so confused about coming out of the closet or not. I really don't care as long as he works for the people of South Carolina. The list can go on and on, but who has time. Let's clean the slate and start all over. Can we have a "do over" PLEEEZE.

:  7/3/2009

Well Jane the "repubs" ain't "The Patriots" you are looking or waiting for. No siree bub. They are so into building their political resumes and are not listening to the voters. My goodness we have it here in good old "Aikenville". What kind of "patriot" is RYBERG, this "gentleman" is hiding from his constitutes, and has not shown any political courage to call for the "LUV GUV's" resignation. He is just keeping out of sight!

:  7/3/2009

What an example for women to follow: forgive liars, even pathological ones. Good grief.

:  7/3/2009

"DRAMA QUEENS", both" Lady Jen" and "THE LUV GUV". They both should leave the state. By the way, Where is RYBERG?

Stop crying for Argentina and start helping South Carolina! :  7/3/2009

Sanford will need to earn back his family's trust and respect and they have had longer to wrap their feelings around this situation than the citizens of the State. A very large number of people supported our Governor's political stand on the stimulus and feel betrayed by his poor leadership and judgment of late. I hope the family can mend, but I want to see our Governor help mend the people of the State. All we have been hearing from him is more poor judgment and nothing beyond an “I'm Sorry”. We need more then that; we need to see him put this behind him and govern or put this behind him by resigning. We do not deserve to be kept in limbo with Republicans and State leaders so divided on the future leadership of the state. I have been saying it for weeks, even before the "trip & affair"- we need true Patriots to lead us now; Patriots that will stop acting selfishly and start acting for the citizens of the state and nation. In a much forgotten Editorial in the newspapers across the state on Father’s Day, our Governor pointed out some areas where our state needs to improve and change; if he is not going to resign then roll-out a plan to change these issues. After all, reform across the board maybe just what this state needs and who better to do it than a Lame Duck Governor that has a very low approval rating and in need of reform himself. I have respected the way our First Lady has handled herself in this terrible situation and hope that she has the strength to do what she needs to do to maintain her selfrespect. Our Governor needs to "Fish or Cut bait" with the citizens of this State so we can all move on.

Jane Page Thompson
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