Republican South Carolina Governor Admits to Cheating on His Wife

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, whose mysterious disappearance last Thursday prompted national headlines, acknowledged this afternoon that he had an extramarital affair, reports CBS news.

"I've been unfaithful to my wife, and I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina," he said.

Sanford said he would resign as chair of the Republican Governor's Association.

"I've let down a lot of people," he added. "That's the bottom line."

Sanford's office initially explained Sanford's disappearance from the state by saying the governor was hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

His communications director, Joel Sawyer, said on Tuesday morning that he had spoken to the governor, who was returning from his trip and had been taken aback by the interest in the story. Sawyer did not indicate then that Sanford had been in Argentina, leaving the Appalachian Trail story in place.

This morning, however, the Republican governor said he had considered going hiking as a break after the state legislative session, but then changed his mind at the last minute. Upon arriving at the airport, he told The State newspaper that he had been in Buenos Aires.

Sanford is the latest American politician to become embroiled in a sex scandal. Recent examples include Sens. John Ensign, David Vitter and Larry Craig and Gov. Elliot Spitzer.

He asked this afternoon for a "zone of privacy," if not for himself than for his family.


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