South Carolina lawmakers will next week take up impeachment proceedings against disgraced governor Mark Sanford.
House Judiciary committee chair Jim Harrison told the AP that an ad hoc panel of four Republicans and three Democrats will begin meeting Tuesday. Harrison said he expects a resolution to impeach will be ready before Christmas. That would then be considered by the full committee.
Earlier this week, four Republicans filed an impeachment resolution against Sanford, a fellow GOPer, alleging that he was in dereliction of his duty when he left the state for 5 days this summer to visit his Argentinean mistress. The resolution also alleged that Sanford “directed members of his staff in a manner that caused them to deceive and mislead the public officials” about his whereabouts. Sanford’s aides famously told the press he was hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Yesterday, a state ethics panel announced it would move ahead with its investigation of Sanford’s travel and his use of state funds in connection with the affair.
If a majority of the judiciary committee votes to bring the impeachment resolution to the House floor, it would be debated in January. A two-thirds vote of the House would result in Sanford’s impeachment and suspension. If two thirds of the Senate then voted to convict, Sanford would be removed from office.