His staffers say they were surprised by his Argentinian dalliance, since his time in D.C. was characterized by a near-monastic lifestyle; Sanford followed a rigid schedule dominated by work and exercise, and spent the rest of his little free time with male friends (especially then-representative Lindsey Graham and Steve Largent). “He slept in his office, showered in the members’ gym,” says one former staffer. “He went to some receptions — I mean it was probably a lot for the free food, because he was so cheap.”
Staffers say that living out of his Hill office would have made it particularly difficult (though not impossible) to keep extracurricular activities under wraps — especially since many of his staffers worked late. “I certainly wouldn’t call Mark a lighthearted guy,” says one former staffer. “When you were at work, you were there to work. It was serious.”
But that didn’t curtail many staffers’ dedication. “He is a personality that inspires loyalty,” one says. “I mean, it was kind of an us-against-the-world thing then. He was the guy along with Ron Paul voting no.”
A few former staffers say that he expected his aides to scrutinize every vote and debate whether or not policies fit his governing philosophy. One staffer took that method to its logical conclusion, inviting lobbyists from opposite sides of an issue to come to the same meetings — unbeknownst to them — and have impromptu debates about how the congressman should vote. Once, for example, the staffer invited the congressman to catch the end of a debate between two lobbyists over telecommunications policy. Sanford thought the unconventional approach was clever, the staffer says.
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