Spokesman for embattled SC gov to leave state job

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The spokesman for South Carolina’s philandering governor plans to leave his state job, the first high-profile departure since the scandal over Mark Sanford’s international dalliance broke.

Communications director Joel Sawyer said Friday his resignation from Sanford’s staff is effective Aug. 5, which will be a little more than six weeks from when Sawyer explained the governor’s mysterious absence from the state by saying Sanford was hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

The governor several days later tearfully confessed to an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina. Sanford, who has said he plans to stay in office for the remained of his final term and reconcile with his wife, says he misled his staff about where he was.

Sawyer, a former newspaper reporter who has worked for Sanford for more than six years, said he is leaving to pursue opportunities in the private sector and his departure has nothing to do with his boss’s affair. He said he plans to do some consulting work.

Since Sanford revealed the affair, his office — and Sawyer in particular — has been dealing with dozens of media requests for interviews and records of the governor’s e-mail, finances and travel.

“I firmly believe that despite recent events, great things to move our state forward can be done during the remaining 18 months of this administration,” Sawyer said in a statement.

Sawyer has a reputation for criticizing legislators who disagree with Sanford’s agenda. Some lawmakers said they were delighted to hear he’s leaving.

“He was the one that always came out trying to create problems with the General Assembly,” said state Sen. Jake Knotts, a West Columbia Republican and Sanford critic.