South Carolina Statehouse Blog

 Columbia, S.C. - December 9, 2009 - Gov. Mark Sanford today issued the
following statement regarding the vote to reject impeachment taken by
the House Judiciary Ad Hoc Committee.

“In light of the Ad Hoc Committee wrapping up its work today, I would
like to make several points. One, I’d like to thank the Committee for
its work, and for their deliberate and measured approach throughout
the process.

“Two, we agree with the Committee’s dismissal of 32 of the 37 ethics
allegations. From the beginning I acknowledged my moral failing, and I
apologized repeatedly. But in the same breath I said, as real as that
was, what has been suggested with regard to supposedly not watching
out for the taxpayer was just not correct; and that if there had been
any oversight, it was minor and technical in nature. We are confident
that the remaining five allegations will be dismissed just as the 32
were, because we have consistently tried to be true to the taxpayer.
This has not changed, and it will not change.

“Three, I want to thank the people of this state for their kindness
and grace. I was encouraged repeatedly in traveling across the state
over the last several months by countless people telling me to ‘hang
in there,’ and ‘finish strong.’ The people of South Carolina have
given me great strength in this adversity I’ve created for myself, and
I want to again thank them for it.

“It’s my intention to finish strong focusing on the economic
challenges facing our state * just as we’ve seen with Boeing’s
record-setting announcement a month ago, with Crane Company announcing
1,000 new jobs in Barnwell County a couple of weeks ago, or with Red
Ventures, where I was earlier today, announcing 1,000 jobs in
Lancaster County. I’ll also be focused on real opportunities for
reform on the legislative front in making South Carolina more
competitive in the global competition for jobs, investment and way of
life. We’d ask that people from all corners of the state make their
voices heard on this front.”

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