Sanford responds to impeachment vote

*2:20 pm update*

Gov. Mark Sanford on Wednesday issued the following statement after the full House Judiciary Committee voted to reject his impeachment:

"As we continue to address the serious challenges now facing our state, I'd make three brief points. First, I'd like to thank the Committee for its work and deliberative approach today and throughout the process.

"Second, we'd concur with the Committee's reasonable decision to reject impeachment. As we've consistently said, this Administration has tried to be a stalwart ally of the taxpayer, and will remain so for the next 13 months.

"Third and finally, I'd join with Speaker Harrell and other legislative leaders in addressing our state's big picture challenges - from double digit unemployment to the inefficient and unaccountable structure of state government. These recent days and weeks have given us both the best and worst of times, epitomized by yesterday's two major events: the Budget and Control Board's grim across-the-board cut to all state agencies, and the equally emblematic inaugural test flight by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner - soon to be another crown jewel of South Carolina exports.

"I'd again ask people from across the state to make their voices heard as we enter the 2010 legislative session - and that we all look for ways in our respective spheres of influence, whether legislatively, in the Executive Branch, or with our hometown businesses and daily conversations, to make South Carolina that much more competitive in the global competition for jobs, investment and way of life."

*Wednesday 1:25 pm*

South Carolina lawmakers have voted down a measure to impeach Gov. Mark Sanford for taking secret trips to visit his mistress in Argentina and improperly using state aircraft.

While expected, the House Judiciary Committee's 18-6 vote came after emotional debate Wednesday.

It put a formal end to the effort to remove the Republican from office and echoed the recommendation made by a smaller legislative panel last week.

The committee still is considering a formal rebuke that accuses the governor of bringing "ridicule, dishonor, disgrace and shame" to the state.

Sanford has been under scrutiny since June when he tearfully revealed the affair. Ensuing probes of his travel and campaign spending led to more than three dozen state ethics charges and the potential for $74,000 in fines.