SLED looking into injury allegations involving Mark Sanford

A niece of U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford reportedly was injured during an incident at Coosaw Plantation, the Sanford family’s farm, prompting a report to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

The report includes scant details and is redacted, including obscuring the name of who filed it. It does state an incident occurred on a dock involving Sanford and the girl, who was injured, on June 18.

The niece was taken several days later to Sea Island Pediatrics in Beaufort. On June 21, the incident was reported to deputies, who interviewed the girl, took photos of her injuries and received her medical records.

The sheriff’s office forwarded the report to the S.C. Law Enforcement Division to “avoid any appearance of impropriety.” Beaufort Sheriff P.J. Tanner and Sanford both have ties to the Beaufort County Republican Party, said Capt. Bob Bromage, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

John Sanford of Beaufort, who is Mark Sanford’s brother and the girl’s father, issued a statement Monday.

"I am sorry that because my brother is a public figure he is being swept into allegations that are not true,” John Sanford wrote. “To be clear, any suggestion that my brother hurt my daughter's foot — or would harm my children in any way — is absolutely wrong. Because I am not a public figure, I would ask that the press not attempt to sensationalize these misleading reports whose printing could harm my children.”

A Columbia-based political blog claimed the girl’s foot was injured. The redacted incident report does not confirm it.

Mark Sanford, a former S.C. governor who overwhelmingly won re-election to the 1st District congressional seat last month, added Monday that he stands by his brother’s statement.

On Monday, SLED opened a preliminary inquiry into the allegations to determine whether any criminal laws may have been broken, spokesmanThom Berry said. That could involve interviewing the alleged victim, Sanford or others.

“Primarily, we’ll be reviewing the facts of the matter,” Berry said. “But if we need to reach out, we can.”

If the agency decides to launch an investigation, it will pass its findings onto the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which would make the final decision to dismiss the case or file charges.

Mark Sanford and his siblings spent much of their childhood at the farm in northern Beaufort County that spans about 1,600 acres and was purchased by their father in the 1960s. Over the years, it has been a gathering spot for the family.

The property also was the site of an accidental drowning in 2011. Three years later, John Sanford and his wife, Julia, settled a lawsuit with the family of the drowning victim.

This story was originally published July 11, 2016 at 7:31 PM with the headline "SLED looking into injury allegations involving Mark Sanford."