Affair scandal threatens US governor's career

The political future of a state governor who visited his mistress in Argentina after indicating he was off hiking in the US hung in the balance today.

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford returned to his home state yesterday and tearfully admitted cheating on his wife with a “dear, dear friend” in Buenos Aires.

Once tipped as a future Republican presidential candidate, Mr Sanford now faces a battle to save his career amid questions over how far he misled staff about his whereabouts.

His apparent disappearance had raised eyebrows over the weekend, especially when it emerged neither his wife nor close aides could say where he was.

Before taking off he indicated to staff that he would be found walking the Appalachian Trail, a popular hiking route in eastern US.

But his story was blown after he was spotted returning from Buenos Aires via Atlanta’s Hartfield-Jackson International Airport.

He has since denied instructing his staff to cover up the affair, but in a hastily-arranged press conference yesterday Mr Sanford admitted that he has suggested that he was likely to be found hiking.

“I let them down by creating a fiction with regard to where I was going. I said that was the original possibility. Again, this is my fault in, shrouding this larger trip,” Mr Sanford said.

The conservative Republican apologised to his wife before explaining: “I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina.”

The 49-year-old went on to say that around a year ago he became romantically involved with the woman, whom he had met some seven years previously.

He said that his wife had known about the affair for the past five months and that they were attempting to reconcile. The couple have four children.

Mr Sanford had been seen as rising star in the Republican party and a possible 2012 presidential candidate. A staunch conservative, as a congressman he drew on his “moral legitimacy” when voting for President Bill Clinton’s impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Yesterday he stepped down as head of the Republican Governors’ Association. But he has refused to be drawn on whether he will leave office.

Mr Sanford has around 18 months left of his second term as South Carolina governor. But his tenure could be cut short as a result of the current scandal.

South Carolina Senator Glenn McConnell, a fellow Republican, said: “I would think that if the evidence indicates that there is a wilful effort to circumvent the constitution, I think there would be a chorus of calls for him to resign.”