He emerged briefly yesterday from the Sullivan's Island home and rolled down the window of his car to talk. When asked if he's planning to resign, he shook his head no.

Sanford publicly admitted Wednesday that he's been having an affair with a woman in Argentina whom he had just returned from visiting. He says he'll reimburse the state for the cost of a trade mission last year where he "made a mistake" and saw her.

He spent yesterday at the beach home with his wife, who says that she asked him to leave two weeks ago so that she could come to terms with his infidelity.

Yesterday afternoon she left with some children in her car for what she said was dinner and a boat ride. Asked if she would be staying with her husband, she said: "It's a goal.

"I'm going to do my best to work on my marriage," she said.

As for her husband's political future: "His career is not a concern of mine. He'll have to worry about that. I'm going to worry about my family and the character of my children."

Asked if he was going to resign, Sanford shook his head "No."

The state Department of Commerce yesterday released documents showing that taxpayers paid more than $8,000 for the trip to Brazil and Argentina June 21-28 of last year.

"While the purpose of this trip was an entirely professional and appropriate business development trip, I made a mistake while I was there in meeting with the woman who I was unfaithful to my wife with," Sanford said. "That has raised some very legitimate concerns and questions, and as such I am going to reimburse the state for the full cost of the Argentina leg of this trip."

It is unclear how much the governor will be returning to the state.

State Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, said that the governor's pledge to repay the money rang hollow.

"That is not acceptable," Knotts said. "He used that trip in order to get to her." *