History is being made in South Carolina, as state lawmakers Tuesday began debating whether Governor Mark Sanford should be removed from office.
A House committee held a hearing into Sanford's five-day absence in June, while he was having an affair with a woman in Argentina.
Seven members of the House Judiciary Committee will decide whether to move forward with an impeachment resolution. Tuesday's hearing was just the first small step, but it already produced harsh words about Sanford's conduct in office.
Sanford's tearful admission in June that he was unfaithful to his wife and misled his staffers during a trip to Argentina, led to calls from state lawmakers for him to be removed from office for dereliction of duty. A panel from the Judiciary Committee will review 37 ethics charges against Sanford, including the charge that he left the state without putting anyone else in command.
"He left his post, he left his state, he left his country without notifying anyone in authority. He was in effect A.W.O.L. as chief magistrate or governor for the State of South Carolina," said Representative Greg Delleney, a Republican representing Chester and York counties.
The resolution says Sanford's conduct brought extreme dishonor to the governor's office and to the state's reputation.
"And has caused the Office of Governor of South Carolina and State of South Carolina to suffer ridicule, resulting in extreme shame and disgrace," said Delleney.
Sanford did not attend the hearing and no one on the panel defended him, though one member said the wording of the impeachment resolution was "a little shrill."
"The language which says that the governor's conduct in being absent from the state under these circumstances constitutes a dereliction of duties, it may constitute something, but it doesn't constitute dereliction of duty because those are military terms," said Representative Walton McLeod, a Democrat from Lexington County.
McLeod said he's concerned with giving Sanford the fairness he's entitled as a public official and citizen. The wording of the resolution makes clear the committee knows the historic nature of its work.
"Our actions will set an example for generations to come," said Delleney.
Monday the State Ethics Commission announced 37 ethics charges about Sanford's travel and campaign finances. Those charges were not mentioned Tuesday, but committee members indicated they may be debated in future hearings.
The committee will hold its next hearing December 1st.
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