Sanford impeachment effort gains momentum (updated)

CNN is running with an exclusive reporting that Rep. Boyd Brown is saying there is bipartisan support in the S.C. House to begin impeachment proceedings against Gov. Mark Sanford. House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Greg Delleney said he would support it, and Brown expressed that senior Republicans told him there are enough votes on their side to get impeachment measures out of committee and onto the floor.

Brown met with Sanford privately for about 30 minutes on Thursday morning to discuss economic-development issues. During that meeting, Brown said he told the governor he should ask for a grand jury investigation into his use of state finances to clear his name. If not, he told Sanford, Republicans and Democrats in the House are prepared to impeach him.

“He didn’t like the sound of that,” Brown said, “but he understood that would be an option.”

The power of impeachment in South Carolina, according to the state constitution, is reserved for “cases of serious crimes or serious misconduct in office.” Impeachment requires a two-thirds vote in the House followed by a two thirds vote in the Senate.

This announcement comes on the heels of Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell saying that the Senate is the wrong place for an investigation of the Governor, with the report from Sen. David Thomas showing that Sanford broke state law in regards to his upgrades on international travel.

“In plain terms,” McConnell wrote in a letter to Thomas, quoted in The State, “investigative hearings by the Senate open the institution to the charge the jury pool has been compromised.” He then suggested that the House and the State Ethics Commission would be the places to go.

With the renewed interest in Sanford’s use of state planes, the impeachment talk that had died down to a whisper is now back at a gale-force roar.

UPDATE: The House Republican Caucus has issued a statement on the recent events.

“Now that new allegations have surfaced related to the Governor’s commercial travel and his use of state airplanes, a thorough investigation needs to be conducted to determine whether any laws have been broken,” House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham said in the statement. “The State Ethics Commission, rather than the House or the Senate, is the appropriate place to deal with potential violations of ethics law, and Atty. Gen. McMaster made the right decision in calling on the Ethics Commission to conduct this investigation.

He continued, “Gov. Sanford’s inappropriate behavior has prompted the need for special attention to be paid to his use of state funds and state resources to support his travel. And it is very important for all the facts to be on the table. No one is above the law.”

Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell has also addressed the issue:

Until very recently, Governor Sanford’s disappointing actions have been just that, disappointing. But now, real tangible evidence has come to light that suggests that several serious ethical – and possibly illegal – acts may have been committed by Governor Sanford.

These are serious claims, and we must handle them in the most professional manner possible. We must not allow grandstanding or politically motivated maneuvers.

Instead of multiple separate investigations taking place, one report issued by an impartial body – such as the State Ethics Commission – should be the basis the House uses to take appropriate actions. That is why I support Attorney General McMaster, and the many others, in their call for a full investigation into this matter by the State Ethics Commission.

After an Ethics Commission investigation, the House can determine the appropriate course of action. This action might include censuring the governor, accepting an impeachment resolution or determining that no further action is necessary. In the impeachment process, the House decides only if there is sufficient evidence that serious crimes or misconduct has occurred, and by a two thirds vote, can only issue charges. It would then be the Senate’s responsibility to try the case.

This is a difficult time for our state, and it is important that this matter be handled appropriately.