MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – During Saturday’s Republican Caucus meeting in Myrtle Beach, some state legislators announced they want to see Governor Mark Sanford out of office.
“He has disgraced the office of governor,” said Representative Greg Delleney from Chester. Delleney insisted the caucus act immediately, and start the impeachment process.
Other representatives agreed with some of Delleney’s points, but wanted to see Sanford step down on his own.
“I would like to see this caucus, as a group, urge him to resign,” said Representative Mike Pitts.
“I’m ready to sign a letter today. I want him out of office,” stated Bill Sandifer, a representative assigned to the Labor Committee. Sandifer told the caucus he believed the Sanford Scandal was affecting South Carolina’s commerce and labor, since companies did not feel comfortable investing in the state.
However, after much debate, the Speaker of the House, Bobby Harrell, says the decision over whether to impeach the governor will have to wait.
“My view of it is that we need to have the Ethics Commission complete its investigation, so that we have an objective governmental body that’s done an investigation.”
Harrell says the decision to impeach is one of the most important decisions the caucus may ever make, and therefore, it has to be properly investigated.
“I don’t think it’s right for us to go out there and take a position on something this important based on what we’ve read in the newspaper.”
That decision didn’t satisfy everyone, including Delleney, who says he’s already started drafting a resolution to impeach Sanford.
“He has just disgraced our state,” explained Delleney. “He committed a pre-meditated dereliction of duty, and character ought to count for something. It ought to count for elected officials. We have to do the right thing. If he’s not willing to do the right thing and resign, then he needs to be impeached.”
The Speaker of the House says the Republican Caucus will act immediately upon receiving the results of the Ethics Commission’s investigation. He says those results may be available in the next few weeks.
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