South Carolina's missing governor takes a hike

SOUTH Carolina governor Mark Sanford is expected back at work today after a mysterious five-day disappearance during which neither his staff nor his wife knew where he was.

The Republican governor’s spokesman said yesterday that Mr Sanford, whose mobile phone was turned off since last Thursday, had been hiking along the Appalachian Trail and was surprised by the attention his disappearance received.

“Governor Sanford called to check in with his chief of staff this morning,” his spokesman Joel Sawyer said.

“It would be fair to say the governor was somewhat taken aback by all of the interest this trip has gotten. Given the circumstances and the attention this has garnered, the governor communicated to us that he plans on returning to the office tomorrow.”

The governor’s secretive holiday became national news on Monday when his wife told reporters that she had not seen him since Thursday and had no idea where he was.

“He was writing something and wanted some space to get away from the kids,” she said, adding that neither she nor their four sons were worried about the governor.

South Carolina’s lieutenant governor Andrew Bauer also said he knew nothing of Mr Sanford’s whereabouts and calls to the governor’s mobile phone from a state senator and close friend went to voice mail.

“I cannot take lightly that his staff has not had communication with him for more than four days, and that no one, including his own family, knows his whereabouts,” Mr Bauer said.

Mr Sanford, who is chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association, has been tipped as a presidential candidate for his party in 2012.

The governor’s disappearance followed a tough battle with state legislators over his refusal to request $700 million for South Carolina from President Barack Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package.

A fiscal conservative, Mr Sanford opposed the stimulus plan but the state legislature last week voted to overturn his 10 vetoes on the issue and legislators won a court battle to force the governor to request funds for his state.

Mr Sanford’s spokesman said the governor had taken to the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail on Thursday “to kind of clear his head” after the legislative session.

“He’s an avid outdoorsman,” the spokesman said.

“Nobody’s ever accused our governor of being conventional.”