COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina state representatives formally reprimanded a governor for the first time Wednesday, admonishing Gov. Mark Sanford for secret trips to see his Argentine mistress and improper use of state aircraft.
The lawmakers voted 102-11 to censure Sanford for bringing “ridicule, dishonor, disgrace and shame” to himself and the state. The rebuke says the two-term Republican was derelict in his duty and abused his power.
The issue came up hours later in the Senate but was sidelined when a legislator said the resolution needed to be reviewed in a committee. Some Senate leaders have said their body may never vote on censure.
The censure has no practical effect on the final year of Sanford’s tenure. State law prevents him from running again.
Before the vote, Sanford said he wouldn’t attend the session or watch and had no comment. “It is what it is,” he said.
Sanford has been under scrutiny since his June revelation of an affair that included a trip to see a woman after telling staff he was going to hike on the Appalachian Trail. He still faces civil ethics charges over travel on state planes.
