Top 10 Political Sex Scandals

Sinful Statesmen

Gov. Mark Sanford

Mary Ann Chastain / AP
Article Tools

Scandal: Year-long affair
How Outed: Press Conference

The Sanford saga began with a disappearing act. The South Carolina governor apparently left home in a black SUV on June 18 and stopped picking up his cell phone or responding to text messages and emails. He was AWOL for the better part of a week. The explanations piled up: the rising GOP star was "writing something," said his wife; he was recharging after losing a fight to refuse stimulus money, said his spokesman; he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, said his staff. When a reporter cornered Sanford in the Atlanta airport June 24, however, the governor revealed that he'd been in Buenos Aires. With South Carolina's capital buzzing with talk of impeachment, Sanford, 49, held a press conference to explain himself: he'd gone to visit an Argentinian woman with whom he'd been having an affair. Apologizing to his wife and four sons and choking up repeatedly, Sanford said he'd spent "the last five days of my life crying in Argentina," and had now ended the year-long dalliance. Sanford, a rumored 2012 presidential hopeful, said he will resign as head of the Republican Governors Association.

Read "Sanford's Sex Scandal: Assessing the Damage."

How would you rank the "Top 10 Political Sex Scandals?" Re-sort this list »

Special Report

Top 10 Mistresses

When Maria Belen Chapur admitted to being the the object of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's affections, she instantly became one of history's famous mistresses

Special Report

Top 10 Regrettable E-Mails

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford probably should have thought twice before sending those steamy e-mails to his Argentine mistress. Has Miley Cyrus taught us nothing?

Special Report

Tabloid Truths

The National Enquirer's scoop on John Edwards is the latest in a string of exclusive tabloid stories that the mainstream media missed. Here's a look back at some milestones in supermarket journalism

More Stories

The Spitzer Scandal: Lust Plus Pride

The New York governor, the vaunted enemy of corruption is accused of patronizing a prostitution ring. Will he survive?