SC House panel votes against Sanford impeachment

6 OF 7 MEMBERS GIVE UNFAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION, VOTE TO CENSURE GOVERNOR

A South Carolina House judiciary subcommittee on Wednesday voted six to one against a bill to impeach disgraced Gov. Mark Sanford.

The seven-member panel agreed that Sanford abused his power as governor in scheduling a 2008 trip to Argentina and misusing state aircraft, but only Rep. Greg Delleney (R-Chester), who introduced the impeachment resolution, believed the actions rose to the level of impeachable offenses.

“He has lost all moral authority to lead this state,” Delleney said. “He has lost all trust. He has lost all ability to lead this state.”

While the group voted against impeaching Sanford, they voted unanimously to support a resolution censuring the governor. Both bills now head to the full judiciary committee.

Rep. James Smith (D-Richland), who had been an advocate for Sanford’s removal, said he believed an impeachment proceeding would create more harm than good.

“This governor is soon to be a part of our past and I don’t want to spend any more time on him in the months ahead,” Smith said. “An impeachment proceeding would only add to the harm he has done to our state.”

The subcommittee struck all but five of the 37 charges named against Sanford in a November State Ethics Commission report and added the Argentina trip, which they said was “camouflaged” as a business endeavor in order to visit his mistress, Maria Belen Chapur.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell (R-Charleston) said he agreed with the majority opinion.

“The threshold for removal from office is a very high standard, and from the evidence made available to them, it does not appear that the Governor’s actions have met that threshold for removal from office,” Harrell said. “While his actions were clearly revealed to be irresponsible, misguided and hypocritical, the Subcommittee found that they did not reach the Constitutional definition of serious crimes or serious misconduct necessary to remove the Governor from office.”

Delleney said he will still continue to push for impeachment, though. “It will be difficult, but I’m not giving up,” he said, noting he would press the full committee to pass the resolution.

All 25 judiciary committee members will meet on Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. to take up the impeachment bill.