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Sanford Resignation

I had the privilege recently of attending a celebration at BMW marking the 15th anniversary of the production of their first vehicle in Greer, South Carolina. This occasion also marked the production of the 1.5 millionth vehicle from this state-of-the –art facility. The plant now employs over 5,000 people (up from 400 fifteen years ago) and BMW’s total investment in the area exceeds $4 billion. These numbers do not count jobs created or the money invested by the many suppliers who moved in to support the plant. It is an understatement to say that BMW has had a major positive impact on the Upstate.

During the celebration, a video was shown of the original groundbreaking ceremony. Comments were made about the effective leadership of Gov. Carroll Campbell and Sen. Verne Smith, two people from opposing political parties who had a common vision of the Upstate’s future – a vision much needed today.

The event was lightly attended by our elected state officials. Also absent from the celebration was our current Gov. Mark Sanford, though his Secretary of Commerce, Joe Taylor, did attend. The residents of the Upstate deserve elected officials who are both actively recruiting new businesses to our area while showing their continued support for those industries who make our region great.

Over the past few weeks, I have not joined the chorus of other Legislators calling for Gov. Sanford’s resignation because we needed time to determine the facts apart from the media frenzy. In his press conference just after the controversy broke, Gov. Sanford expressed a desire to work with the Legislature to improve the economic opportunities in our state. I wanted to give him the opportunity to act on these statements. At this point, I do not see that effort being made.

Regretfully, I have now concluded that Gov. Sanford should seriously consider resigning for the benefit of the state. I have also added my name to a letter that has been issued by the House Republican Caucus making the same request. As I have stated before, however, the decision to resign is his alone. The Legislature cannot force him to resign.

Furthermore, my decision regarding his resignation does not imply that I support an impeachment resolution at this time. Impeachment of an elected government official is a serious matter with far reaching consequences. If pursued, it will be a distraction from our goals of economic development and job creation. Ultimately, it will be an embarrassment for all South Carolinians. However, we are still waiting on the findings from an investigation by the Ethics Commission into the Governor’s travel records. I will make a decision on the validity of an impeachment resolution when their report is issued.