Tripp criticized by governor, others for secret taping

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But the legislative leaders said they don't believe Tripp will be disciplined for his actions.

Tripp, 33, was on his honeymoon this week and unavailable for comment.

Gov. Mark Sanford on Tuesday identified Tripp as the lawmaker who carried a tape recorder into a private meeting between about 40 House Republicans and Sanford at which the legislators griped about Sanford's threat to sue the General Assembly over an economic development bill.

Tripp passed the tape to a news reporter, and the meeting's contents became public.

Sanford called Tripp's actions "unethical."

Will Folks, a Sanford spokesman, said Wednesday that had Sanford known the session's discussion would be made public, he would have been "much more vocal in his defense."

"The governor didn't know we had a Linda Tripp in the Statehouse," he said, referring to the woman who secretly taped conversations with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

House Speaker David Wilkins of Greenville and House Majority Leader Rick Quinn both said they have discussed the matter with Tripp.

"It was certainly inappropriate and should not have been done," Wilkins said. "I'm going to let him speak for himself, but I certainly expressed my views on the subject very clearly."

Quinn said, in his brief conversation with Tripp last week, "he understood it was a mistake."

Quinn said he doesn't know of any House rule violated by the taping, so he doesn't think disciplinary action is an option.

"I don't think there's anything we have in an official capacity that can be done about it," he said. "There's not a law against doing stupid things."

Tripp has served in the House since 1995.