South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (Rep.) had vanished from work for several days and his office had not been in touch with him. Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer (who is responsible for the state in the Gov.’s absence), other fellow lawmakers and even the Govenor’s wife said they had no idea where he was, naturally leading critics to question who was in charge of South Carolina.`
“I cannot take lightly that his staff has not had communication with him for more than four days, and that no one, including his own family, knows his whereabouts,” said Lt. Gov. Bauer who had been rebuffed by the Governor’s staff when he tried to find out where Sanford was.
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But late Monday night, all was well when Gov. Sanford returned as mysteriously as he had disappeared, saying he had been hiking along the Appalachian Trail, which perplexed his fellow state leaders. Can a sitting Governor disappear and return at will without any consequences? Is this sort of 4 day long absence acceptable in modern politics?
Apparently they've finally located the Gov but as per local news WYFF Channel 4:"Sources Question Governor's Story"Sanford Says He Disappeared To Go HikingJoel Sawyer, communications director for the governor's office, then said the governor had been on the Appalachian Trail. Sawyer said staffers heard from Sanford on Tuesday morning and the governor plans to return Wednesday. Sawyer said the governor is surprised by all the attention. On Tuesday, sources told News 4's Nigel Robertson that a state vehicle is missing and was tracked down, not to the Appalachian Trail, but to the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta. Sources told Robertson that a federal agent spotted Sanford in the airport boarding a plane. Robertson was told that the governor was not accompanied by security detail. Sanford has been out of reach for more than four days, including Father's Day. Sawyer has emphasized that the governor was hiking on the Appalachian Trail and… Read more »