Mark Sanford Says He Saw Maria Chapur 5 Times In The Past Year

Oh, so now South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford says he saw Maria Belen Chapur–his girlfriend in Argentina–five times in the past year. But, he says the state only paid for it twice. As if that’s the point. Wait. What is the point? Why is the Washington Post reporting every sordid detail of his love life? Oh because journalism died. Or maybe also because we are a puritanical country and if a man lies about sex then maybe he’s a terrorist.

Originally, Sanford told the press that he’d only seen Chapur four times in 8 years. But yesterday, through what the Associated Press calls an emotional interview, (he’s so sensitive!), Sanford said that he has, in fact, seen Ms. Chapur a total of five times in the past year alone, plus a few other times before the relationship became physical. This year, the couple flew to Manhattan in September and The Hamptons in November to see each other, but the governor says he paid for everything out of his own pocket. Sanford’s wife discovered a letter he’d written to Chapur in January of this year and Sanford begged her to let him go see her to end it. She refused until, finally, they agreed he could meet her in New York City with the presence of a “trusted spiritual advisor.” Seriously? People are still trusting Jesus at this point? During that trip, Sanford, the advisor and Chapur met for dinner and attended church. Wow. That took really well. Sanford was back in her arms in Buenos Aires in June, telling his staff he was “hiking the Appalachian trail,” which we now know is a euphemism for getting enmeshed in Argentine pubes.