Mark Sanford's Emails Detail His Argentine Affair

Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina is joined by his wife, Jenny, after winning the Republican...

Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina is joined by his wife, Jenny, after winning the Republican gubernatorial nomination, June 13, 2006, in Columbia, S.C. Jenny Sanford said Monday she did not know the location of her husband. Sanford's staff declined to disclose where he was.

(Mary Ann Chastain/AP Photo)
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'Taken Aback by All the Interest'

Sanford returned to work today after nearly a week-long unannounced hiatus.

Earlier this week, his staff told reporters that the governor was hiking on the Appalachian Trail, but this morning the governor told The State newspaper upon his arrival at the Atlanta airport that he was in fact in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Sanford told the newspaper this morning that he didn't know why his staff said he was on the Appalachian Trail but that "in fairness to his staff," he had told them he might do that.

"I would also apologize to my staff. ... I let them down by creating a fiction about where I was going," Sanford said in the press conference, and added that he did not ask any of his employees to cover up the affair.

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A U.S. Embassy official in Argentina told ABC News the embassy had "absolutely no idea" that Sanford was in the country, adding that this comes "from out of left field. It would be extremely odd that a U.S. governor would not check in with the embassy."

But a Department of State spokesperson said if Sanford decided to travel as a private citizen, the department would not have to be informed.

Earlier this week, Sanford's family and staff said they were not concerned. His office said in a statement that it was not uncommon for the governor to "go out of pocket for a few days at a time to clear his head."

Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press Monday that the governor was "writing something and wanted some space to get away from the kids."

But what ignited national curiosity was that Sanford's security agents were unaware of his whereabouts and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer -- who would be in charge in the governor's absence -- said he didn't even know Sanford was going away.

This morning Sanford flew back to Atlanta rather than to Columbia, S.C., to avoid a media stampede.

Sanford's communication director said Tuesday, "It would be fair to say the governor was somewhat taken aback by all the interest this trip has gotten."