COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The South Carolina Supreme Court has ruleed that Governor Mark Sanford cannot keep an ethics probe into his travel secret.
(READ THE FULL OPINION - Word Document)
Sanford asked the justices to decide if the Ethics Commission can release its investigation into his travels to state lawmakers mulling impeachment.
Sanford waived confidentiality. But his attorneys say he was revealing that he's being investigated, not letting lawmakers see the report.
Sanford's travel has been under scrutiny since he skipped the state in June to rendezvous with a woman in Argentina. Associated Press investigations have shown he used state planes for personal purposes and traveled in first class seats despite low-cost travel rules.
Sanford had argued the substance of the investigation should be confidential, but the high court said the governor's agreement to waive confidentiality meant that nearly everything generated by the commission can't be secret.
The ruling Thursday clears the way for an investigative report by the Ethics Commission to be given to lawmakers who are considering whether to attempt to remove the embattled two-term Republican from office.
However, the justices denied a request by House Speaker Bobby Harrell that the Commission be ordered to release the report, finding that the House still has other means to obtain the documents.
The decision was unanimous, though Justice Costa Pleicones noted that he disagreed with the majority that Sanford totally waived his confidentiality in an Aug. 28 letter to the Commission. Pleicones said he was not convinced the governor waived all his confidentiality when he wrote the letter.
Harrell has said lawmakers will not move forward until they see the report on Sanford's use of state planes.
Sanford's attorney, Butch Bowers, released the following statement:
"We agree with the Supreme Court's decision today to deny the Speaker's request to order the Ethics Commission to release its investigatory report to the House. We also agree with the Court's decision to preserve the confidentiality of the Commission's investigative process. We've fully cooperated with the Commission thus far, and we will continue to do so throughout this process. To be clear, Governor Sanford supports the public release of the full and complete Ethics report, and we believe that once all of the facts and the complete story are on the table, people will see that this Administration has consistently been a good steward for the taxpayer."
11/5/2009 8:23:51 PM
