Sanford ethics investigation will take 4-8 Weeks

Gov. Mark Sanford continued his travels around the state Monday to lay out his agenda for the remaining 16 months he’s in office. He also apologized briefly during a stop at the Orangeburg Kiwanis Club for his extra-marital affair.

But it’s not that affair that he’s now being investigated for by the State Ethics Commission. The commission opened an investigation into the governor on August 18th at the request of Attorney General Henry McMaster, Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell and House Speaker Bobby Harrell, according to Ethics Commission executive director Herb Hayden.

He says the commission is investigating four things:

1. Whether Sanford used state planes for personal use.
2. Whether Sanford accepted rides on private planes and failed to report them on financial disclosure forms.
3. Whether he flew overseas in the more expensive business class on planes, when state regulations require the use of the cheapest seats available.
4. And whether he reimbursed himself out of campaign funds for personal expenses.

Hayden says the investigation will take anywhere from four to eight weeks, depending on how long it takes to get documents and how much trouble investigators have tracking down everyone who gave the governor a ride on a private plane.

“If the flight is provided because of the person’s position, if he… provided the transportation because he was governor, then he’s (Sanford) required to disclose that on his annual statement of economic interests. If it’s given because of friendship and would have been given regardless of whether he was governor or not, then it’s not required to be disclosed,“ Hayden says.

The questions about reimbursements also do not necessarily reveal ethics violations, he says.

“There are several reimbursements noted on his campaign disclosure forms where money was being reimbursed to him and to Mrs. Sanford. It’s certainly authorized to do that if it’s a legitimate expense.“ Hayden says. “And these particular items, all it indicates is just a reimbursement. There’s no explanation as to what the reimbursement is for, and the allegation has been made that some of those reimbursements may have been for personal items. So we’re just looking at those, going to ask the governor’s campaign office to provide copies of documentation for what those reimbursements were for.“ 

The flights in business class might be harder to justify. Hayden says a state Budget and Control Board regulation requires all state employees to fly in coach, or tourist class. There’s no exception for the governor or anyone else.

As for the use of the state plane, he says any governor can use the state plane as he sees fit, as long as it’s for state business. There are questions, though, about some of the times Sanford used the planes and whether any state business was done.

Gov. Sanford will be interviewed as part of the investigation, Hayden says. That will happen toward the end of the process, once all the necessary documents have been collected.

After the investigation is over, a report on its findings will go to the State Ethics Commission, the attorney general and the speaker of the House. The Ethics Commission would handle any possible ethics violations, the attorney general would prosecute any potential criminal wrongdoing and the speaker would use the report to pursue impeachment, if he feels that’s justified.

Gov. Sanford has said that the investigation will clear him of any wrongdoing and that his travel records will show he’s been a good steward of taxpayer resources.