Sanford had not been in touch with his staff, security, or family since Thursday, but his office sent an update last night saying he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail:
“I apologize for taking so long to send this update, and was waiting to see if a more definitive idea of what part of the trail he was on before we did so,” said Joel Sawyer, the Republican governor’s spokesman. Sawyer added that he will update the public on Sanford’s specific whereabouts as soon as he knows them.
The governor, who has a reputation for being an unorthodox politician, opened the door to plenty of criticism from political rivals with his disappearance. State Sen. Jake Knotts worried about the line of succession during yesterday’s national speculation. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who is positioning himself to run for governor when Sanford’s term is up, complained that his request to speak with the governor had been denied:
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