SC-Gov: Sanford’s Car Found at Atlanta Airport

For a while today, this story seemed to be dying down; Gov. Mark Sanford had contacted his office and was just “hiking the Appalachian Trail” (except without his security detail, or any notice to his staff or his Lt. Governor). It’s now clear, however, that “hiking the Appalachian Trail” was just a weird metaphor for, well, something else. Sanford’s vehicle was located at the Atlanta Airport, which is 80 miles from the start of the trail.

On Tuesday, sources told News 4’s Nigel Robertson that a state vehicle is missing and was tracked down, not to the Appalachian Trail, but to the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta.

Sources told Robertson that a federal agent spotted Sanford in the airport boarding a plane. Robertson was told that the governor was not accompanied by security detail….

WYFF News 4 has not yet confirmed where the plane was going or how the governor got to the airport, but it is clear there are two very different stories.

News 4 called the governor’s office, and was told again by staffers that they stand by their original statement that the governor is hiking the Appalachian Trail. They did not want to comment on this story.

UPDATE: CNN thinks they’ve found Sanford’s car, but at the airport in Columbia, SC – not Atlanta.

RaceTracker: SC-Gov

23 thoughts on “SC-Gov: Sanford’s Car Found at Atlanta Airport”

  1. The only legitimate reason for driving to Hartsfield instead of flying right out of Columbia is if you’re going really, really far away and want a nonstop.

    I know that the entry point for dignitaries going to Iraq is Kuwait City, and Delta runs a 777-200 nonstop from Atlanta, along with a daily 777-200 to Dubai and I think a daily 767-300 to Tel Aviv.

    So maybe he’s visiting the troops and its hush hush b/c of security?

  2. This strikes me as a very significant development. Why are all the MSM outlets that have been devoting so much coverage to this story over the last 24 hours still parroting the flacks’ latest talking points?

  3. they can try to spin this anyway they want to, but a guy doesn’t leave his wife and family for father’s day weekend without telling them where he’s going.

    if any of you do that, i’m impressed by your exceedingly modern relationship, but a dude who wants to be a player in the national GOP is just done.

  4. Another week, another GOPer flirting with a 2012 bid has an embarrassing story undermining their judgment and possibly their future career.  What’s with these clowns?  Cue in Freddie Mercury…

  5. I’m not sure how many of you guys actually clicked in the link and read what CNN wrote… but the CNN article says the car is found in the Columbus (SC) Airport, not the Atlanta (GA) Airport.

  6. Some good photoshops from the orange place.

    Regardless of his actual activities (which I suspect are far less interesting than what we’re thinking), the fact that he’s caused such a stir over this is the height of political stupidity.  Maybe the guy does like his hikes.  Whatever.  Any elected official at his level of power needs to have a way to always be in touch with at least someone in government.

  7. why did he leave without telling anyone his whereabouts, or being clear about line of succession if something goes wrong.

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