S.C. Relocates Its Governor
As we posted a short time ago, the paper reported that neither his office nor the State Law Enforcement Division had been able to reach the governor since he left his mansion in a black sports utility vehicle on Thursday.
Sanford's office has contacted the governor and told the office of Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer that they now know where he is and that he is fine, according to the State.
"The governor put in a lot of time during this last legislative session, and after the session winds down it's not uncommon for him to go out of pocket for a few days at a time to clear his head," Joel Sawyer, the communications director for Sanford's office, told CBS News. "Before leaving last week, he let staff know his whereabouts and that he'd be difficult to reach. Should any emergencies arise between the times in which he checks in, our staff would obviously be in contact with other state officials as the situation warrants before making any decisions."
The governor's wife, Jenny Sanford, told the Associated Press Monday that she did not know where the governor was. Bauer also said he did not know where Sanford was -- but that he had not been put in charge in the governor's absence.
Jenny Sanford told the AP she was not concerned about her husband's absence and that he needed time apart from his children to write something.
The governor's office initially would not discuss the specifics of Sanford's travel or security arrangements but issued statement saying, "Gov. Sanford is taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle and the legislative session, and to work on a couple of projects that have fallen by the wayside."
Sanford recently lost a court battle to refuse federal stimulus funds that were specifically dedicated to educational purposes.
