The civil charges, which carry a maximum $74,000 in fines, stem from a three-month investigation by the Ethics Commission and could be pivotal in a push by some lawmakers to remove him from office. The state attorney general is deciding whether the governor will face any criminal charges.
The ethics charges include 18 instances in which Sanford is accused of improperly buying first- and business-class airline tickets, violating state law requiring lowest-cost travel; nine instances of improperly using state-owned aircraft for travel to political and personal events, including a stop at a discount hair salon; and 10 instances of improperly reimbursing himself with campaign cash.
The alleged travel violations were first reported in a series of Associated Press stories. Some of the allegations about Sanford’s use of campaign funds were revealed by The State newspaper in Columbia.
Sanford’s attorney yesterday characterized the allegations leveled by the panel as “technical questions.’’
“We are confident that we will be able to address each of these questions, none of which constitutes findings of guilt and none of which we believe rise anywhere near to the traditional standard of impeachment,’’ lawyer Butch Bowers said.
Each of the counts asserts Sanford used his office for personal financial gain and carries a maximum $2,000 fine if he is found guilty.
Sanford’s attorneys have said they look forward to defending against the charges at an ethics panel hearing early next year. They also confirmed that Sanford - as the state investigation was being conducted - added disclosures of his private plane flights to his ethics forms.
Among the mistakes the ethics commission says the governor made were his:
■ Approval of the purchase of four first- and business-class commercial airline tickets for a June 2008 trip during which he met with his mistress in Argentina.
■ Personal use of state-owned aircraft for trips such as the birthday party of a campaign contributor in Aiken, and flying from Myrtle Beach to Columbia for a “personal event,’’ including a haircut.
