Say Anything Blog

Panel finds probable cause for charges against Sanford

A state ethics panel has found evidence Gov. Mark Sanford may have broken state law, charging him with “several” undisclosed violations after an investigation into his travel and campaign spending.

State Ethics Commission director Herbert Hayden on Wednesday would not provide details of the charges, nor would he clarify whether the violations were ethical or criminal.

...The ethics panel is scrutinizing Sanford’s travel and use of campaign funds stemming from his five-day clandestine trip to Argentina in June. Sanford later admitted an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman and reimbursed the state more than $3,000 for a 2008 trade trip during which he saw his lover.

...The commission is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Once appointed, the commissioners cannot be removed.