Jenny Sanford files for divorce from S.C. governor

Jenny Sanford files for divorce from S.C. governor
By Philip Rucker
Copyright by The Washington Post
Friday, December 11, 2009; 11:45 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/11/AR2009121101503.html?wpisrc=newsletter


The wife of embattled South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) announced Friday morning she is filing for divorce, saying in a statement that she decided to dissolve her 20-year marriage after "many unsuccessful efforts at reconciliation."

Jenny Sanford's statement comes six months after her husband returned from a mysterious five-day absence and tearfully confessed an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman. The two-term governor, who secretly visited his mistress in Argentina while leading his staff to tell reporters he had been hiking the Appalachian Trail, has faced repeated calls to resign. But Sanford is determined to remain in office until his term expires in January 2011, and a state lawmakers voted earlier this week not to impeach him.

Jenny Sanford said, "The dissolution of any marriage is a sad and painful process" and added: "I know it will soon become known so I choose to release this brief notice that I am now filing for divorce. This came after many unsuccessful efforts at reconciliation, yet I am still dedicated to keeping the process that lies ahead peaceful for our family."

Mark Sanford responded with his own statement, saying his wife's decision is "not the course I would have hoped for, or would choose." But, he added, "I want to take full responsibility for the moral failure that led us to this tragic point."

Sanford had told reporters on Wednesday that he was still trying to reconcile with his wife.

"Jenny is a great person, and has been a remarkable wife, mother and first lady. She has been more than gracious these last six months and gone above and beyond in her patience and commitment to put the needs of others in front of her own. While our family structure may change, I know that we will both work earnestly to be the best mom and dad we can be to four of the finest boys on earth," the governor said Friday.

After Mark Sanford admitted the affair in June, Jenny Sanford and the couple's four boys left the governor's mansion in Columbia and moved to their beachfront home on Sullivan's Island, an exclusive seaside town outside of Charleston. She repeatedly told reporters that she was willing to reconcile with the governor -- even while publicly thrashing the governor's behavior, telling reporters he "crossed the line" with other women in the past.

Jenny Sanford, who has become a hero to some women for not standing by her man, is writing a memoir about dealing with her husband's infidelity. The book, titled "Staying True," will be released in April by Ballantine Books. She also gave an interview to Barbara Walters for an ABC special this week.

The soon-to-be-former first lady has been the force behind her husband's political career, helping manage his campaigns and serving as a top adviser during his first term as governor. After he admitted the affair, however, she told reporters: "His career is not a concern of mine."

Born into a wealthy Irish Catholic family in suburban Chicago, Jenny Sanford graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a degree in finance and was a vice president at a Wall Street firm before moving to South Carolina with her husband.