Sanford's Love Letters Show Up Online

(AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

The State newspaper on Wednesday published excerpts of personal e-mails exchanged between South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and the woman in Argentina with whom he has been having an extramarital affair.

In one of the e-mails, Sanford calls their relationship a "hopelessly impossible situation of love."

Sanford tearfully admitted to the affair in a press conference Wednesday, after his unexplained absence caused a media firestorm. The governor led his staff to believe he was hiking the Appalachian Trail when, in fact, he was in Buenos Aires.

The woman with which Sanford has been having an affair, whom the State identified as "Maria," reportedly declined to be interviewed. The newspaper says it will publish the full e-mail exchange, which it claims it obtained in December, in its Thursday edition. It has removed the woman's personal information from the e-mails.

Sanford's office reportedly did not dispute the authenticity of the emails.

Sanford expresses romantic feelings for the woman in the e-mails, writing on July 10, 2008, "You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night's light."

He also apparently delves somewhat into politics. In the same July 10 e-mail, he writes, "The following weekend have been asked to spend it out in Aspen, Colorado with McCain -- which has kicked up the whole VP talk all over again in the press back home."

The governor conveys his frustration over the affair, calling it "ground I have never certainly never covered before," and his mistress expresses similar sentiments.

In a July 9, 2008 e-mail, the woman identified as Maria writes, "You are my love ... something hard to believe even for myself as it's also a kind of impossible love, not only because of distance but situation. Sometimes you don't choose things, they just happen... I can't redirect my feelings and I am very happy with mine towards you."

54 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 54 Comments


by lizsmith70785 July 1, 2009 8:57 AM EDT: So what. What the man does is his personal business and his wife's I don't think it is something that should be spread all over the papers for everyone to read. "like everyone were in shock" come one as long as he was not spending the states money Then, let him and his wife deal with the affair. Heck Maybe it is true love sometimes that happens.; Reply to this comment


by carlvelas June 26, 2009 8:22 AM EDT: Read the emails: clearly Sanford is in love with someone other than his wife. Don't believe his 'confession' where he claims to have made a mistake by having an affair, and that the affair is over. The emails talk about love that is eternal, and not some random one night fling.; Reply to this comment


by teachergirlfg June 25, 2009 3:03 PM EDT: As a teacher in SC, I am not Sanford's biggest fan. He is not a friend of education. But the situation he has created isnt about him being unfaithful, it is that he was irresponsible. I think he will resign because he has failed as a leader. SC has the highest unemployment rate in thirty years, we have problems created by NAFTA and exascerbated by the failing economy and the flawed auto industry. We need a leader that is ready to put his personal interests aside and work for the people who live in this state. Using Tax payer money to fund his trips was his undoing. Time to face the music. Man-up or step down, Governor Sanford.; Reply to this comment

by Slrman-21001573651763300012869 June 25, 2009 8:55 AM EDT

tmittelstaed Are you retarded or just have a selective memory? Clinton's real crime was lying to a federal grand jury. If you or I had done that we would have gone to jail. Because congress always has a shortage of testicular fortitude, Clinton walked away after publicly and undeniably committing a felony. Think there is a really "justice for all" in the USA? Think again.

Reply to this comment


by abbe91 June 25, 2009 9:21 AM EDT: Under the "Definition of Sexual Relations" submitted by the Jones legal team, Clinton didn't lie.
I don't find this worse than "waterboarding is not torture".


by abbe91 June 25, 2009 8:51 AM EDT: "And I voted to impeach, because I think that, you know, moral legitimacy is one of the precursors to a legitimate legacy."

Gringrich, Ensign, now Sanford ... I wonder who, among these republicans who went after Clinton, didn't cheat his wife. Dare to give a name ?; Reply to this comment

by geneonlbk June 25, 2009 8:14 AM EDT

GOP = Group of Perverts. Pretty soon we will have only the Democrats as the GOP will all have resigned because of illicit extra-marital affairs with men and women of the same or opposite gender. Dontya just love hypocrisy and bible thumping in between affairs?

Reply to this comment


by DaBroiler June 25, 2009 4:31 PM EDT: We can only hope that Ted Kennedy and Barney Frank follow their lead and resign as well.


by sleepyric June 25, 2009 8:11 AM EDT: ALL politicians, dems, repubs, all,,are phony power mongers. Even on the local level. Money comes with the positions, but power is what they crave. Sanford has lost a lot of his power because he couldn't control his urges. His tearful press conference, and his comments about breaking God's law are phony. He wants to salvage some of his power, so he can lie to us and get re-elected some day to who knows what position...it's all about the power. I hate all politicians. They lie to your face regardless of which party they belong to. Nobody wants to serve the country anymore,,it's all a charade. We'd be better off with a king and a queen.; Reply to this comment


by govtguy June 25, 2009 8:07 AM EDT: At this point, who cares? If he used state or federal funds on his trip, then nail his sorry butt. If he paid out of pocket, seems to me the problem is between him and his wife. Does it impact on his credability, absolutely. Does it show "character weakness" or manipulation of his personal life, absolutely. Does it show abuse or fraud in using the SLED vehicle, maybe. Guaranteed the media and his political party will be watching him like a virus at the CDC. This is becoming so common amongst the politico's, that we no longer have any guarantee that those who are in charge of our state or country, have solid and impeccable morals. Get rid of them or get back to work! Maybe he, John Edwards, or Bill Clinton can compare notes?; Reply to this comment


by marcodele June 25, 2009 7:40 AM EDT: Why aren't the right wing neocon family value nutjobs harping about this Governor the way they did Clinton? Let's see.... Foley, Vitter, Craig, Sanford... maybe they're just tired of being hypocrites.; Reply to this comment


by zonkzilla June 25, 2009 7:19 AM EDT: "Yeah, it's so wonderful that Democrat politicians never cheat on their wives. Only Republicans cheat. Doesn't everyone know that?"

Coming from the same group of people who impeached a President for similar things. They brought this on their party by going after Clinton and pretending they were so moral and perfect. Now it's payback time or Karma if you prefer.
As so called "Christians" the Republicans should know "you reap what you sow".
Time to harvest the crop!
What hypocrites.; Reply to this comment

See all 54 Comments

Report offensive content:

E-mail this comment to a friend.

Follow Political Hotsheet

CBS This Morning