Gone Hiking: Missing S.C. Governor Found

A spokesman for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says the chief executive is hiking the Appalachian Trail, which explains his perplexing absence.

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)

A statement issued by Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer Monday night didn't make clear what part of the trail he was on.

Sanford hadn't been in his office for several days, and fellow politicians and his wife said they didn't know where he was.

Sawyer had said earlier in the day he wasn't aware that anyone on staff had spoken to the governor since Thursday.

First lady Jenny Sanford said Monday she had not spoken with her husband for several days. That includes Father's Day. The Sanfords have four sons.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Where is South Carolina's governor?

Related

Where is S.C. Governor Sanford?

Gov. Sanford: GOP Needs New Voices

LISTEN: Shuffle Podcast: Gov. Mark Sanford on Losing the Stimulus Fight

The lieutenant governor doesn't know, and neither does a state senator who's a close confidante. Even Gov. Mark Sanford's wife is in the dark.

And while his staff said they knew where he was, a spokesman said he wasn't aware that any of them had spoken with the governor since Thursday. Sanford's wife said she hasn't heard from him in several days, including Father's Day.

"He was writing something and wanted some space to get away from the kids," Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press while vacationing with the couple's four sons at their Sullivans Island beach house. She said she didn't know where he was, but wasn't concerned.

Sanford, who's also chairman of the Republican Governors Association, earned a reputation as the nation's most vocal anti-bailout governor by refusing $700 million in federal stimulus money for schools until he lost a court battle earlier this month.

His spokesman Joel Sawyer said the governor was taking a break after losing the fight.

"Gov. Sanford is taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle and the legislative session and to work on a couple of projects that have fallen by the wayside," Sawyer said.