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Joel Sawyer, the spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford’s administration the past four years, will issue his final statement today.

Sawyer is leaving to start his own communications consulting firm, which will focus on political and public policy clients.

With charts and graphs at hand to illustrate an idea, Sawyer always had a market-based defense of Sanford’s positions ready. If needed, Sawyer was aggressive, argumentative and thorough with reporters and stories the office disputed.

But Sawyer will also be linked to Sanford’s six-day disappearance to visit his Argentinean lover. After admonishing members of the media skeptical of the story, Sawyer sent out a 10 p.m. e-mail that said the governor was hiking the Appalachian Trail; that story proved to be false.

Sanford later admitted he had misled his staff and apologized. Sawyer said he has forgiven the governor and still believes in Sanford’s goal of smaller, more efficient government.