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Home › Politics

Mark Sanford: Another Blow to Republicans? | 06/25/2009 10:00 am

Mark Sanford's Sensual E-mail Exchanges With Argentinean Mistress Maria Belen Shapur Made Public (Video)

Hours after the South Carolina Republican governor apologizes to his wife, Jenny, and four sons for affair, his lustful e-mails with mistress emerge on The State website
By The Staff at wowOwow.com
Gov. Mark Sanford's Confession Video via NBC News

Hours after sun-kissed Gov. Mark Sanford made a very public confession that he left the country for five days without telling a soul to be with his Argentinean mistress, the sensual e-mails the South Carolina Republican exchanged with his lover are brought to light. E-mails obtained by The State newspaper in December are between a woman named Maria in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the governor — who once had his eye on a 2012 White House run. The series of e-mails date between July 4 - 10, 2008, and are posted online by The State newspaper. In an excerpt from one e-mail, the governor expresses deep chemistry. 

From: Mark Sanford
To: Maria
Subject: RE:
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:24:54 -0400
Sweetest, 
You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that is so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificently gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curves of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of night’s light — but hey, that would be going into the sexual details …
When the e-mails were first obtained, Sanford’s spokespeople would not authenticate them. However, The State reports, the governor’s office Wednesday did not argue the authenticity.

Sanford and Jenny, his wife of 20 years, reportedly separated two weeks ago and she has known about Sanford’s extramarital interest since December. Jenny is a former Wall Street executive and has helped Sanford manage all his campaigns.

Politico reports that Sanford has taken at least three taxpayer-paid trips to Argentina — but it’s unclear whether he met with his lover during any of them. For this latest trip, Sanford told reporters that he used his own money to pay for his plane ticket.

Argentinean media reveal a bit more information about the alleged mistress. Her name is María Belén Shapur, age 43, and The State believes she has two children.

For 18 emotional minutes, the 49-year-old governor apologizes profusely to his wife and four sons, who had no clue where he was. Watch:


Humans are far from perfect, we know. But tell us: Why do people in power (and in the public eye) cheat … and think that they can get away with it? 

Read more about: Affairs, Argentina, Divorce, Infidelity, Love, Mark Sanford, Marriage, Mistress, News, Politics, Relationships, Scandal, Style, Video

233 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Judy K.
Marjorie, Bush Sr. allegedly had an affair with his appointements aide, Jennifer Fitgerald and others and Laura Bush, allegedly spent a night in a hotel after an argument with Dubya about his alleged affair with C. Rice. 
By Judy K. on 06/25/2009 1:03 pm
deber B
Pure tabloid
By deber B on 06/25/2009 1:20 pm
Judy K.
Believe what you want but look up George Bush/mistresses and you may be enlightened. 
By Judy K. on 06/25/2009 3:40 pm
deber B
Tabloid fed, Judy.   There’s absolutely no proof of this.   Just "chatter" from, of all people, Linda Tripp!   Now there’s a source you can count on!   All of it is heresay.  
By deber B on 06/25/2009 3:57 pm
Libra Lady
While you are at it Judy…look up Vera Baker and Larry Sinclair….keep spreading the hearsay…it’s working!!!  :-)
By Libra Lady on 06/25/2009 4:11 pm
Libra Lady
We could go on and on about hearsay…..I mean michelle made Vera Baker leave the country…hmmm…what’s up with that????
By Libra Lady on 06/25/2009 1:10 pm
Marjorie C.

Libra:  We could go on and on about hearsay…

Then there’s always Larry Sinclair.  You’d think the Dems would shut up while they’re ahead. 

By Marjorie C. on 06/25/2009 3:50 pm
f p
Ahead? I’d say it’s a tie myself, Marjorie.
By f p on 06/25/2009 4:35 pm
Victoria J
deber B…you wrote, " My point is that a governor, mayor, etc. aren’t held to the same standards as a president when it comes to situations like this."   Do those so-called standards you speak of apply to managerial skills or bedroom skills?  Many citizens are only interested in whether these men can do the work the job requires…in which can the same standard does apply.
By Victoria J on 06/27/2009 9:46 am
Marjorie C.

DeBurca:   …hypocrisy is rampant in the Republican Party

If Republicans are the party of family values, what do the Dems stand for —  debauchery and whore mongering.

At least the Republicans are embarassed, it is quite doubtful that they will make Sanford the standard bearer and hero of the Republican Party.  You stick to your Bill Clinton values, and the Republicans will deal with Sanford as they should. 

By Marjorie C. on 06/25/2009 10:59 am
deber B
Perfect response, Marjorie, perfect.
By deber B on 06/25/2009 11:34 am
f p
Marjorie there as many repubs whore-mongering as Dems.  Let’s be fair here and spread out the hypocrisy.
By f p on 06/25/2009 4:36 pm
Marjorie C.

deber:  Infidelity spares no political party.  

And then there is the recent Eliot Spitzer debacle.  Dems should have nothing to say.  There are fools on both sides of the aisle.  Gov. Sanford is an embarassment and should step away from his job. 

I agree with you, at least he isn’t the POTUS, begging through crocodile tears hoping to escape impeachment for lying.  Today, he is an elder statesman and spokesman for the party.  How’s that for quick forgiveness.       

By Marjorie C. on 06/25/2009 9:56 am
DeBúrca obj

Democrats went after Spitzer as much as anyone, in fact the thing that Spitzer was most criticized for was the hypocricy of his crusade against prostitution in NY and then he cheats with a prostitute.

But, the Democratic Party has never set itself up as the religious taliban the way the Republican Party has and the Democrats do not run on the so-called ‘family values’ platform. The hypocrisy award goes to you guys. Two of the main attackers of Clinton were adulterous Republicans, Gingrich and Hyde and Sanford was right in there voting for impeachment (as was creepy men’s room troll, Larry Craig). So Sanford has earned the ridicule he is getting and until the Republicans stop acting like they own Christianity and moral values, their politicians will fall the farthest when they cheat whether it is with women or men.

By DeBúrca obj on 06/25/2009 10:15 am
Marjorie C.

DeBurca:  the Democratic Party has never set itself up as the religious taliban the way the Republican Party has…

Which Republicans are you speaking of?  I still don’t know which church the Presidents Bush attended, or the Reagan.  What church did McCain attend?  I don’t think it was ever mentioned.  These Republicans never wore their religion on their sleeve.  So who are you really aiming your criticism at?  Governor Palin?  It always comes back to her, doesn’t it?

By Marjorie C. on 06/25/2009 11:33 am
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