The South Carolina State Ethics Commission combed through Gov. Mark Sanford’s records and came up with 37 ethics charges involving air travel and campaign funds.

The married governor, who went AWOL for nearly a week this past summer only to return and acknowledge he had been with his Argentinean “soul mate,” was cited by the State Ethics Commission for a number of alleged transgressions, including use of state aircraft and expensive commercial airline tickets when cheaper seats were available.

South Carolina lawmakers, some of whom have been itching to give the Republican governor the boot, have been waiting for the Ethics Commission to act. But the governor’s lawyers say the allegations are minor and technical, and predicted there won’t be any criminal charges — a decision that’s up to the state’s attorney general. A hearing on the ethics allegations will be held next year; Sanford’s term ends in January 2011.

For a fiscal conservative, Mark Sanford sure doesn't appear to care about being fiscally conservative with his taxpayers' dollars. Some of the things Sanford allegedly used state aircraft for:

—transporting a staff member from Columbia to North Myrtle Beach, and then both Sanford and the staff member back to Columbia “to participate in a personal event, receiving a haircut.”

—attending a book signing party.

—attending a birthday party for a contributor.

—a personal weekend with family members.

—attending a son’s sporting event.

—going to “the ‘soft’ opening of the Hard Rock Park.”

h/t: Wall Street Journal