Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009

[Previous coverage] Sanford due back today, but from where exactly?

Aides say he was hiking; he was out of touch for 4 days

S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford will return to work today, his staff said, cutting short a mysterious hiking trip along the Appalachian Trail.

Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said the governor called chief of staff Scott English on Tuesday morning, and was surprised by the attention.

“It would be fair to say the governor was somewhat taken aback by all of the interest this trip has gotten.,” Sawyer said in a statement.

But there are still unanswered questions about Sanford’s whereabouts, from his exact location on the Appalachian Trail to why the governor, a father of four, would leave town over Father’s Day weekend.

Tuesday afternoon, first lady Jenny Sanford said she still had not heard from the governor.

Also on Tuesday:

• Sawyer admitted staffers still did not know the governor’s location. Sanford has been out of touch with staffers and family since leaving his security detail and driving off in a State Law Enforcement Division SUV on Thursday. The vehicle was spotted late Tuesday night at Columbia Metropolitan Airport, according to CNN..

• A mobile phone tower picked up his last known location near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the situation.

• Greenville television station WYFF reported Tuesday night that sources had reported seeing Sanford boarding a plane at the airport.

Sawyer insisted the governor was hiking. “It’s wrong,” he said of WYFF’s story.

Sanford’s absence drew national attention, with CNN, MSNBC and others descending on Columbia and front-page stories on the Wall Street Journal.

First lady Jenny Sanford told CNN on Tuesday that she still had not spoken with her husband since Thursday. Jenny Sanford said she did not know where he is, but was not concerned he was not home on Father’s Day.

“I am being a mom today,” Jenny Sanford said. “I am taking care of my children.”

Sanford’s office said Monday the governor was taking a break following the end of the legislative session and a months-long dispute over accepting $700 million in federal stimulus money. The state’s top court ruled earlier this month lawmakers could spend the money without the governor’s approval.

Sanford had wanted to use an equivalent amount of state money to pay off debt.

Such trips are not unusual, Sawyer said, and staff had expected to hear from Sanford late Monday or on Tuesday. Sanford told his staff that where he was going, he would not be available

But with local and national media asking questions about the governor’s trip, lawmakers began discussing ways to clarify how and when officials should transfer authority in the case of absence, travel, illness or disability.

Such a law would also try to define under what emergencies the lieutenant governor could assume an absent governor’s duties.

The state constitution says the lieutenant governor can assume the governor’s authority if he or she is unavailable in an emergency, but state law is unclear on what qualifies as an emergency. The governor may also voluntarily transfer authority.

“If you’re absent from the state or more particularly if you can’t be reached quickly ... the lieutenant governor ought to be told and he ought to be available,” said state Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens. “I think that more clearly needs to be spelled out.”

The succession of power law has been an issue since at least 1981, when then-Attorney General Dan McLeod indicated the law was unclear. In an opinion, McLeod wrote that a court would have to decide what is an emergency.

“Those elected have sworn an oath to do those jobs in accordance with the Constitution and laws of this state,” said Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, in a written statement. “In an emergency, it should be those people who consult with staff to make a decision and not the other way around.”

McConnell said he would file a bill to define what is an emergency and a temporary absence under state law.

Martin said lawmakers should also consider mandating security protection for the governor. Security is provided by a handful of state agencies, and Sawyer said the office had no written policy for the governor’s detail.

Sanford has said that he would prefer to have no security, and has left his detail for jogs or other trips.

House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham, R-Lexington, said House leaders had yet to discuss a similar bill. Bingham agreed the governor should not be able to leave his security team.

“The security is not just for Mark Sanford,” Bingham said, “it’s for the governor of South Carolina to protect the interests of South Carolina.”

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer agreed that both issues should be addressed.

“He deserves it, no question,” Bauer said of Sanford’s trip. “There has to be a line of command.”

Sawyer said agency directors were capable of making day-to-day decisions. In an emergency, Sawyer said, the governor’s staff and agency heads could defer to other state officials if needed.

Sawyer saw no need to alter state security or succession laws. The criticism of the trip, he said, is politically motivated.

“That’s up to them and we really don’t see a need to,” Sawyer said, noting those most outspoken about limiting the power of the governor were the most concerned about his travels.

Sawyer said Tuesday he would make Sanford’s passport public to shed light on the governor’s travels.

Reach O’Connor at (803) 771-8358. Reach LeBlanc at (803) 771-8664.

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