COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The mystery is over, with today's announcement by South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford that he'd flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he'd been having an affair.
Sanford told a news conference that he'd "let down a lot of people." He apologized to his wife and four sons, none of whom attended his announcement.
Sanford says he's stepping down as head of the Republican Governors Association. But he didn't say whether he'll leave office.
Sanford had been rumored as a 2012 presidential candidate.
Sanford says the woman in Argentina has been a friend for about eight years, but that the relationship didn't become romantic until a little over a year ago. He says he's seen her three times since then, and that his wife found out about it five months ago.
Sanford said he'd spend the past five days "crying in Argentina." He says the affair is now over.
When reporters first started asking questions this week about his whereabouts, Sanford's office said he'd gone hiking on the Appalachian Trail. And his wife said she didn't know where Sanford had gone for the Father's Day weekend.
Sanford's announcement comes just one day after another man who'd apparently had a promising future in Republican politics, Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, apologized to his GOP Senate colleagues after revealing that he'd had an affair with a campaign staffer.
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