Read more: Local, Politics, South Carolina, State Ethics Commission, Governor Mark Sanford, Charges, Travel, Campaign Finances, Representative David Weeks, Impeachment
The SC Ethics Commission on Monday released a 17-page legal finding that outlines how the panel says Governor Mark Sanford used his public office for personal financial gains.
In its report, the Commission found Sanford violated state law 37 times by buying pricey plane tickets, using the state airplane for personal trips, and reimbursing himself and staff through campaign cash for items not related to the governor's duties.
The civil charges carry a maximum $74,000 in fines. An Ethics Commission hearing on them is expected early next year.
Monday's report is a result of an investigation that came about after the political fallout of Sanford's affair with his Argentine mistress.
Click here to read the report from the Ethics Commission.
While Monday's civil charges haven't been directly connected to the affair or Sanford's leaving the state to visit his mistress, they will play into lawmakers' decision of whether to impeach.
A few weeks ago, State Representative Greg Delleney introduced an impeachment resolution during a special session, but it only included the alleged misconduct of Sanford's disappearing act. It was not voted on because House members said it was best to wait until the Ethics Commission report was unveiled.
Now that it has been, State Representative David Weeks, thinks the impeachment resolution will be amended to include the latest findings from the Ethics Commission.
"It (the resolution) got squashed because many members of the House, including the speaker, felt that it would be better to deal with this issue once the Ethics Committee report came out, and now it is out, and that's why I think it will be dealt with along with the question of his absence from the state without any notice to the citizens," Weeks said Monday.
Weeks is one of seven members appointed to a special legislative ad-hoc committee that will begin an inquiry into the allegations against Sanford. The committee will convene for the first time on Monday, and Weeks said Monday's report will be used in the committee's investigation.
Weeks hopes the investigation will wrap up by the end of this year. It will then be sent to the full House Judiciary Committee for review. From there, it could be sent to the full House of Representatives for a possible vote of impeachment. If they decide to impeach, the Senate would have to decide whether to remove Sanford from office.
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