S.C. governor didn’t disclose flights

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford took dozens of undisclosed flights on private planes since taking office in 2003 despite a state law requiring him to report who paid for the travel, an Associated Press investigation has found.

The AP discovered 35 flights Sanford took on private planes that he did not list on state ethics forms or campaign reports.

State law requires elected officials to disclose gifts received in a day worth $25 or more and “anything of value” over the course of a year worth at least $200 “if there is reason to believe the donor would not give the thing of value” but for the public official’s position.

Sanford, under scrutiny since announcing an affair with an Argentine mistress, didn’t report the flights because the trips were paid for by longtime friends or political groups, spokesman Ben Fox said.