Sanford's little lie masks a much bigger one

Around 9:30 Tuesday morning, Sawyer issued another statement to the AP. He said that Sanford had called English to check in.

"It would be fair to say the governor was somewhat taken aback by all of the interest this trip has gotten," Sawyer wrote. "Given the circumstances and the attention this has garnered, the governor communicated to us that he plans on returning to the office tomorrow."

According to Sawyer, Sanford still did not divulge where he had been, and no one asked. But it soon became clear that he had not been hiking.

Around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, CNN's Political Ticker reported that the black Suburban had been found in a parking lot at Columbia Metropolitan Airport, the camping gear still inside.

Scandalous e-mails
At 6:15 a.m. Wednesday, Gina Smith, a reporter from The State newspaper, was standing in the waiting area at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Since December, the Columbia newspaper had been sitting on a stack of e-mails, which it says were sent anonymously. They were purportedly personal correspondence between Sanford and a woman in Argentina named "Maria."

Video   Sanford and sin June 24: Governor Mark Sanford, R-SC, admits to an affair with a woman from Argentina. Rachel Maddow is joined by Gina Smith, reporter for “The State” newspaper, who broke the story. MSNBC

"You are my love ... something hard to believe even for myself as it's also a kind of impossible love, not only because of distance but situation," one message from Sanford, dated July 9, read. "Sometimes you don't choose things, they just happen. ... I can't redirect my feelings and I am very happy with mine towards you."

The paper then received an anonymous tip that Sanford had been spotted on a flight to Buenos Aires, but had no idea when he might be returning. Acting on a hunch, Smith staked out the airport.

She was craning her neck, squinting as she scanned the crowd. When she spotted Sanford, any doubts Smith might have had about the e-mails' authenticity seemed to evaporate.

The tip was so sketchy that the paper had decided not to send a photographer with Smith. Acting reflexively, she snapped a quick photo with her digital camera, then called out to Sanford.

"Governor!" she shouted. "Everybody's been worried about where you've been. ... Have you been on the Appalachian Trail?"

Clearly flummoxed, the governor invited Smith to sit down with him in the waiting area. According to Smith, a visibly deflated Sanford gazed absently into the distance, his mouth opening, then closing, as if he were at a loss for words.

Video   Sanford’s steamy e-mails emerge June 25: After going AWOL for several days, South Carolina’s Gov. Mark Sanford admits he’s been unfaithful to his wife. Today show

Sanford acknowledged that while he had planned to go hiking, he had actually been to Argentina. Then, in what now appears to have been a last, desperate attempt to delay the inevitable, the governor launched into a ramble about other "adventure trips" he had taken to Turkey, Greece and other parts of South America.

Smith asked whether Sanford had been alone in Buenos Aires. Yes, he replied.

When she pushed the issue, Sanford abruptly ended the interview and left.

About four hours later, Sanford's office announced that he would be holding a press conference at 2 p.m. beneath the vaulted brick ceiling in the Doric-columned lower lobby of the State House, just feet from the governor's suite.

Starting a half-hour late, Sanford hemmed and hawed for several minutes, as he had done that morning with Smith.

"I guess where I'm trying to go with this is there are moral absolutes, and that God's law indeed is there to protect you from yourself," he told the stunned assembly. "And there are consequences if you breach that.

"This press conference is a consequence."

Reactions of family, associates
Whether Sanford has come clean with the whole truth remains to be seen. If any of his staff, family or confidantes really knew where he was during his lost week, none is talking.

Former aide Tom Davis — who stood beside Sanford during the news conference and whom Sanford singled out for a special apology — told CBS News Thursday morning that he had no idea about the affair or the trip to Argentina.

"The 30 years I've known Mark Sanford," he said, "this blew me away."

At his news conference, Sanford also singled out longtime friend and spiritual counselor Warren "Cubby" Culbertson.

Standing outside his Columbia home, Culbertson declined to tell the AP whether he knew of Sanford's South America trip. He did say that Sanford called him some time ago for advice, and that "we've been kind of walking down this road together since then."

Whatever lies Sanford told along the way, Culbertson said he is confident his friend "is going to try to change."

"There's an element of darkness out there that's undeniable," Culbertson said. "And it's bigger than us."

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