SLED clears Sanford on charges he used state funds to visit mistress

COLUMBIA — A State Law Enforcement Division examination into Gov. Mark Sanford’s travel expenses during trips in which he rendezvoused with his mistress found no improper use of public funds.

SLED Chief Reggie Lloyd made the announcement during a press conference Thursday where he called the governor ‘extremely cooperative’ with law enforcement.

Lloyd and several other SLED agents met with the governor at the official residence Wednesday to discuss how the governor paid for the trips.

SLED looked at documents from the Attorney General’s office, the Budget & Control Board and the governor’s personal accounts.

Sanford said he paid for the trips with his own personal cash, largely to help keep his affair a secret.

Lloyd said his agency had also gotten dozens of requests from lawmakers, some asking legal questions, and others that are, to Lloyd, politically motivated.

“One thing that SLED will not do is get in matters that are proper within the political realm,” Lloyd said. “We have not done that, we will not do that.”

Since the attorney general’s office asked SLED to examine the records Tuesday, Lloyd said there has never been any hard evidence or facts brought forward that would suggest the governor misused state funds.

“There was nothing suggesting a crime had been committed,” Lloyd said. “In this case, the governor was cooperative with our review.”

SLED will submit a formal report on its findings to the attorney general’s office and the State Ethics Commission.

Lloyd described the inquiry as fairly easy compared with others he’s seen, saying, “This isn’t Bernie Madoff,” when asked just how much money Sanford had spent on the trips.

Following the announcement, the governor’s office made public several of Sanford’s personal travel records to backup the results of the SLED inquiry.

“We’re pleased that SLED has concluded its review, which confirms what we’ve said from day one — no public money was used in relation to the governor’s admitted marital infidelity,” Joel Sawyer, a spokesman for the governor, said. “This issue is behind us once and for all.”

Longtime Sanford friend and political ally, Tom Davis, a state senator from Beaufort and Sanford’s former chief of staff, said the calls for Sanford to resign were premature and the public has gotten a false impression of who the real man is.

“This is a man that still loves his wife,” Davis said. “He is a good family man for the 30 years I’ve known him.”

Davis also said he would be making a tough political decision on the matter in the coming days.

The governor plans to leave the state Friday to spend the holiday weekend with his family in Florida.

First Lady Jenny Sanford released a statement late Thursday afternoon saying that she was willing to give her husband the chance to rebuild their lives together.

“There is no question that Mark’s behavior is inexcusable, actions have consequences and he will be dealing with those consequences for a long while,” the First Lady said in a statement. “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.”