Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell has asked for the resignation of Gov. Mark Sanford.

Harrell wants Sanford to resign

Speaker of the House joins others who are asking governor to step down

by Anna B. Mitchell

Published: Sept. 8, 2009, 5:24 p.m.

Click here to read Speaker Harrell's letter to the governor

Gov. Mark Sanford has three more Rotary Club visits on his agenda this week.

And a call from the South Carolina Speaker of the House to step down.

The embattled governor has visited about a dozen civic clubs in recent weeks trying to drum up support from constituents for his long-time agenda of limited government and legislative reforms.

He quipped to a Rotary group in Greenville on Aug. 20 that he was happy to be out of Columbia and refused to answer questions about a possible resignation. But joking aside, Sanford’s political opponents in Columbia have since sharpened their scrutiny of his public record. That record now includes a state Ethics Commission investigation into his use of state airplanes and expenditures on high-end plane tickets abroad.

Speaker Bobby Harrell, arguably the most powerful political figure in the state, came out for the first time today with a call for the governor to resign.

“It is with great trepidation that I feel compelled to send you this letter requesting that you resign from the office of Governor of South Carolina,” the Charleston Republican wrote in a letter to Sanford. “The events of the past several weeks have brought to light disturbing facts regarding you and your administration. More importantly, these events and your handling of these events have created an environment that makes it impossible for you to continue to lead our state.”

Harrell referenced the governor’s “shocking” extramarital affair with an Argentine woman and Sanford’s unannounced exit from the state to go see her in June.

“However, in the two plus months since your revelations, other disturbing facts have continued to trickle out relating to possible misconduct and violations of state law that have occurred during your administration,” Harrell said.

The governor’s use of a business-class ticket in a trip to Argentina last year – a ticket many times more expensive than those purchased for lower-level staff during the trade mission – prompted media to investigate state regulations regarding travel. Additionally, his use of the state-paid trip to visit his girlfriend prompted investigations into whether he’d ever used other trips to piggyback personal business.

The Journal revealed last month that the Sanford family routinely used a state aircraft to return to Columbia after Thanksgiving holidays in Savannah to attend a state tree-lighting ceremony at the capitol.

Harrell’s letter comes after a Republican House caucus meeting during the weekend of Aug, 29 during which a majority of those present called on an impeachment trial against the governor.

Should the House choose to impeach Sanford, the state Senate would stand as the case’s jury.

Quoting from Sanford’s own imagery of a self-inflicted wound, Harrell said the governor’s own problems have “forced unnecessary suffering on the people of South Carolina.”

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