Former Gov. Mark Sanford's Dissapearance & Affair

GOV. MARK SANFORD CAUGHT WITH MISTRESS MARIA BELEN CHAPUR IN ARGENTINA

~ A web of lies and deception is brought to light, as Gov. Mark Sanford admits his affair ~

Up-Date - December 2009: Jenny Sanford has filed for  divorce.   

March 19, 2010, Associated Press confirmed, In Charleston  S.C., Charleston County Family Court Judge Jocelyn Cate issued a final  order Thursday, March 18, 2010, that made Sanford the first sitting  South Carolina governor to get a divorce.  The term-limited Republican  Sanford agreed to pay fines to resolve dozens of ethics charges,  including a taxpayer-funded rendezvous with his Argentine mistress,  Maria Belen Chapur, marking the end of a months-long saga. 

The  State Ethics Commission had brought 37 civil charges against Sanford  last in 2009, after a series of Associated Press investigations  questioned his use of state, commercial and private airplanes, bruising  his image as a penny-pinching politician who once required staff to use  both sides of Post-it notes.

 Jenny Sanford has said in her official statement on June 24, 2009:  

"Psalm 127 states that sons are a gift  from the Lord and children a reward from Him.  I will continue to pour  my energy into raising our sons to be honorable young men.  I remain  willing to forgive Mark completely for his indiscretions and to welcome  him back, in time, if he continues to work toward reconciliation with a  true spirit of humility and repentance."

   " Jenny Sanford  is taking the higher ground in placing her children first, making  positive life long decisions in regards to her marriage, with her head,  not her hormones."  -  Synthia Esther   

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CHEATING POLITICIANS - A COMMON AFFAIR

By Synthia Esther

June, 26, 2009

There she is, the wife of a cheating male politician,  standing by her man in apparent anguish, embarrassment, and humiliation,  during his tell all press conference.   Not so with Jenny Sanford, wife  of Gov. Mark Sanford, 49, (115 Governor of South Carolina) whose affair  with a woman from Argentina recently made the news.  According to a Fox  News report, Marjory Wentworth, a family friend who was appointed South  Carolina's poet laureate by the governor in 2003, states  concerning  Jerry  Sanford, "She has very strong faith, very strong family values.   There's no gray area about the things that matter to her."  

From a  public relations viewpoint, I would have to agree with Marjory  Wentworth, as Jenny seems to be handling her husbands indiscretions and  infidelities, with knowledge and wisdom.  Setting boundaries and drawing  the line in the sand, is the only healthy thing to do at this stage of  their marriage.  The saying "actions speak louder than words," holds  true.

IS GOV. MARK SANFORD IN LOVE WITH THE OTHER WOMAN?

 During his press conference  he asked for forgiveness from his wife and others stating, "God's laws  protect us from ourselves."   He choked up when confessing with heart  felt sentiment, "I've let down a lot of people, that's the bottom  line..."   The Governor announced he has known his "dear, dear, friend,"  the other woman at the center of his affair for eight years, however,  the relationship didn't become romantic until a little over a year  ago. 

 Is Gov. Sanford in love with the other woman?  Yes, I think he is,  as he told reporters, "...after five days of his  life crying in Argentina, the affair is now over."  His "dear, dear,  friend" is reported to be, Maria Belen Chapur, 43, a divorced mother of  two teen age sons, who lives in the upper middle class district of  Palermo in Buenos Aires.   Gov. Sanford's family did not  attend his confession session press conference.  

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

Jenny Sanford's actions speak volumes for those women  who have had the courage and strength to stand on their own two feet  when faced with the challenge, shock, and dismay of a husband who has  committed adultery.  Not a difficult decision in my book, especially  since, according to her husband's news conference, she  had known about the affair for five months.   This revelation was  brought forward after Mrs. Sanford read a love letter between the two.   When asked if she would be staying with her husband, Jenny responded,  "It's a goal."  "I'm going to do my best to work on my marriage," she  said.   

Fox News reported when asked about her husband's political  future Jenny stated: "His career is not a concern of mine.  He'll have  to worry about that.  I'm going to worry about my family and the  character of my children."  The couple has four school age sons.  Jenny  Sanford gave her own statement stating, "We reached a point where I felt  it was important to look my sons in the eyes and maintain my dignity,  self-respect, and my basic sense of right and wrong.  This trial  separation was agreed to with the goal of ultimately strengthening our  marriage."  

Jenny Sanford, a millionaire, helped with her  husband's political career nearly 15 years ago, when he ran for Congress and Governor, even having campaign help sleeping in the basement of  their home.  Rep. John Graham Altman, Republican, gave comment  concerning Jenny, "She's a highly organized, corporate-type person,...I  think Jenny's very calm, very controlled.  She's extremely gifted and  talented. ....It's clear she was the governor of the governor."   Mrs. Sanford took the higher ground in placing her children first,  making positive life long decisions in regards to her marriage, with her  head, not her hormones.  I only hope and pray her husband does the  same.

UPDATE - 2022:

Mark Sanford's got engaged to Maria Chapur, that relationship was said to have ended in Sept. 2014 (Wikipedia - Retrieved Sept. 23, 2018).  He did get back into the political realm for some time, having several noted political supporters help.  As well as noted pornographer Larry Flynt's endorsement, who stated: "His open embrace of his mistress in the name of love, breaking his sacred marriage vows, was an act of bravery that has drawn my support".  On July 16, 2019, Sanford even challenged Donald Trump for the 2020 presidency citing  "his alarm over the nation's finances" , only to withdraw his campaign on November 12, 2019 (Wikipedia - Retrieved Jan. 20, 2022).

As for Jenny Sanford?   In 2018, she was  happily engaged to investment banker Andy McKay. - (US News - Associated Press),  And they married that same year.

Copyright , Synthia Esther.  All Rights Reserved.