Jenny Sanford, South Carolina's first lady, announces that she is moving out of the governor's mansion. Jenny Sanford out of gov's mansion

Jenny Sanford, South Carolina’s first lady, announced Friday that she is moving out of the governor’s mansion.

“I am so thankful for the overwhelming support and prayers we have received from people all across South Carolina. I am literally in awe of how blessed we are to have such love and support from family and friends, old and new,” the wife of GOP Gov. Mark Sanford said in a statement.


“It is with this support, and after much careful and prayerful consideration, that I have decided to move back to our home in Charleston with our sons for the upcoming school year,” she added. “From there, we will work to continue the process of healing our family.”

The Sanford family just returned from a two-week trip to Europe, for which they left roughly a month after the governor admitted to an affair with an Argentine mistress. The governor’s first day back at work was Thursday.

The governor’s wife played a key role throughout the scandal, taking a primary role in getting Sanford’s GOP rivals in the state Legislature to quiet calls for his resignation.

Both she and her husband have said repeatedly that they intend to remain married and work out the problems caused by the affair, a sentiment Jenny repeated Friday.

“While we will be leaving Columbia, we will return often, and I will remain engaged in activities in my role as first lady, acknowledging that my responsibilities to my family come first,” South Carolina’s first lady said. “Once again, when it comes to personal family matters like this, I respectfully ask that members of the media allow us to go on with our lives in peace.”