Gov. Sanford: 37 Ethics Charges

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, whose tryst with an Argentine lover blossomed into a wide-ranging scandal, is accused of breaking ethics laws by using taxpayer money for pricey airline seats, taking state planes for personal and political trips and occasionally tapping his campaign chest to reimburse himself for travel.

The details of civil charges against the second-term Republican governor were released Monday. He has been under scrutiny since he vanished for five days over the summer, reappearing to tearfully admit to an extramarital affair with a woman he later called his "soul mate."

The civil charges, which carry a maximum $74,000 in fines, stem from a three-month investigation by the state ethics commission and could be pivotal in a push by some lawmakers to remove him from office. The state attorney general is deciding whether the governor would face any criminal charges.

The ethics charges include 18 instances in which Sanford is accused of improperly buying first- and business-class airline tickets, violating state law requiring lowest-cost travel; nine times of improperly using state-owned aircraft for travel to political and personal events, including a stop at a discount hair salon; and 10 times he improperly reimbursed himself with campaign cash.

The travel allegations were first uncovered in a series of Associated Press investigations, while the allegations about his use of campaign funds were revealed by The State newspaper in Columbia.

Sanford's attorneys and spokesman did not immediately respond to messages left seeking comment. His lawyers have said previously that they consider the travel allegations to be minor, technical issues of state law.

Each of the counts claims Sanford used his office for personal financial gain and carries a maximum $2,000 fine if he is found guilty.

Sanford's attorneys have said they look forward to defending against the charges when the ethics panel holds a hearing into them early next year. They also confirmed that Sanford - as the state investigation was being conducted - added disclosures of his private plane flights to his ethics forms.


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