Sanford's Wife Asked Him to Leave 2 Weeks Ago

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 24, 2009 5:41 PM CDT

(Newser) – The wife of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says she asked him to leave the house two weeks ago when she learned of his affair. Jenny Sanford says she still loves her husband and is willing to welcome him home if he works on their marriage with "humility and repentance." In what Katie Connolly of the Gaggle blog in Newsweek calls a "classy statement," Sanford said she requested the trial separation when she "reached a point where I felt it was important to look my sons in the eyes and maintain my dignity."

"The greatest legacy I will leave in this world is the character of the children I, or we, leave behind," she wrote. "It is for that reason that I deeply regret the recent actions of my husband Mark, and their potential damage to our children." She added: "I believe enduring love is primarily a commitment and an act of will, and for a marriage to be successful, that commitment must be reciprocal. I believe Mark has earned a chance to resurrect our marriage."

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South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and his wife, Jenny, arrive at the White House in February. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

In a 2007 photo, Mark Sanford takes the oath of office with wife Jenny and sons, from the left; Marshall III; Landon; Bolton and Blake. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain, File)

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"I would like to start by saying I love my husband and I believe I have put forth every effort possible to be the best wife I can be during our almost twenty years of marriage.
- Jenny Sanford

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