GREENVILLE, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Thursday that a state senator shouldn't single him out by investigating his travels after other governors bought pricey flights for years.
Sanford once blasted state officials for taking expensive flights as he built an image for himself as a frugal conservative. But he used his predecessors' travel habits to defend himself in a letter to the lawmaker, which points out hundreds of expensive airline tickets bought under three previous administrations.
Sanford's travels and use of state aircraft have come under greater scrutiny after he disappeared for five days in June and returned to confess an affair with an Argentine woman.
"There's something wrong with selective outrage," Sanford told reporters at a news conference Thursday. "Let's look at all the facts. Let's lay them out. That will be a good thing. But let's not have what we have right now, which are a whole host of different agendas being served."
At a podium placed across the street from state Sen. David Thomas' law office, Sanford said the lawmaker's political ambitions were fueling a probe by the budget subcommittee that Thomas heads. Thomas, R-Fountain Inn, is running for the U.S. House.
But Thomas said Sanford has brought it all on himself.
"It's his behavior that's gotten us here," Thomas said, adding that he had requested the letter Sanford sent him Wednesday.
"It wasn't him that came up with it, I asked for it," Thomas said.
The letter, prepared by one of Sanford's lawyers, said their review shows that previous administrations bought tickets that were more expensive than economy class at least 230 times since 1984. The tickets were used by the governors and other state officials.
"This information strongly supports our view that Governor Sanford and the Department of Commerce during his administration have complied with the applicable travel laws and regulations," wrote Swati Patel, Sanford's chief legal counsel.
Sanford's appearance came a day after he rebuffed a call to step down from Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, a Republican. Bauer said Thursday that it's fair for Sanford to bring up what other governors have done.
"If he is no different than the others, then it's fair to bring up, but he's also made a legacy of being frugal, and that's where I think it burns a little bit to people," Bauer said.
When Sanford first ran for governor in 2002, the former congressman blasted incumbent state officials for their expensive flights. Sanford was also known to sleep on a cot in his Washington office to save money.
Attorney General Henry Mc-Master, also a Republican, has asked the state Ethics Commission to review issues raised by Thomas and in stories by The Associated Press about Sanford's use of aircraft.
AP investigations found that Sanford used state planes for personal and political trips, which state law prohibits. He also took pricey flights on airlines for overseas trips despite a law that state employees use the lowest-cost travel and failed to disclose trips on private planes that ethics officials say should have been made public.
Sanford said he looked forward to the ethics investigation and believes he will be vindicated, but he has repeatedly ducked questions about making the probe public. Unless he waives confidentiality, the agency can't even say whether there is an investigation.
Later Thursday, Sanford continued his push to seek forgiveness and salvage his political agenda with a luncheon stop at the Greenville County Republican Women's Club. Club president Gerri Warren said Sanford asked to speak to the group in the conservative heart of the state.
Sanford told the club it's time to move on from the scandal. He said he has "an incredible opportunity" to make his last 16 months productive because he has no political ambitions left to get in the way.
Information for this article was contributed by Katrina Goggins and Seanna Adcox of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 08/28/2009