Gov. Mark Sanford has appointed twice as many of his political donors to state boards, commissions and agency posts as his predecessor did.

Sanford, who as a Republican gubernatorial candidate criticized former Gov. Jim Hodges for his fund-raising activities, has named more than 80 of his own donors to state offices.

Sanford's 2002 campaign received more than $360,000 from those appointees, their families and the companies they control, an analysis of campaign finance records by The State newspaper found.

Of the 167 appointments Sanford made through July 25, almost half, 81, had given money to his gubernatorial campaign.

Over the same time frame in 1999, Hodges, a Democrat, named campaign donors to 36 positions -- just less than one-fourth of the 157 appointments during that time.

Hodges' appointees gave about $62,000 to his campaign -- about one-sixth as much money as Sanford's appointees gave.

Sanford says there was no quid pro quo involved in his appointments. Critics, however, argue that the governor is hypocritical to choose so many donors for state offices and that it sends a message of a government for sale.

In a Nov. 21, 2001, column in The State, then-candidate Sanford wrote:

"While no one would deny that money is important to politics, there is a difference between donating to a campaign and a system of spoils.

"We have a right to express our political beliefs by supporting candidates, but we should not tolerate decisions that are reached (or appear to have been reached) based on who gave the most money."

But that's what Sanford appears to be doing, said John Crangle, director of the S.C. chapter of Common Cause, a Washington-based government watchdog group.

"It's a spoils system this man is running at the present time," Crangle said.

Sanford said whether someone gave to his campaign was only one factor in picking appointees. A campaign contribution signals a commitment to him and his views, he said.

"You can buy in personally, you can buy in philosophically, you can buy in financially," Sanford said. "If someone has bought in financially, to preclude them just because of that would be unfair."

That's true, Hodges said.

"You obviously want to make certain that people are comfortable with the direction you want to take the agency," Hodges said.

Still, it's hypocritical, Hodges said. "It's inconsistent to give us a hard time for something that apparently his record shows he's done much more often."

'I'VE ALWAYS RELIED ON ... FRIENDS'

Sanford said what he's done is different from what he criticized Hodges for doing.

In 2001, Sanford accused Hodges of targeting for contributions companies doing business with the state. Hodges said at the time he did no such thing.

Sanford said his column in The State was directed at the Hodges campaign's solicitations of companies with state contracts.

"I've always relied on a network of friends and it would be logical that there would be a crossover between those friends' willingness to help me financially," Sanford said.

Sanford said the way in which he has made his appointments does not represent even the appearance of conflict.

As governor, Sanford has hundreds of appointments to make to boards that deal with everything from licensing barbers to managing the state's natural resources. Some appointees must have specific expertise or live in a precise geographic area. Many appointments also must be approved by the state Senate.

Most of the appointments are unpaid, but members often are reimbursed for travel expenses to attend meetings.

Other positions are paid. Members of the State Ports Authority board are paid $975 a month, for example. Board members of Santee Cooper, the state-owned utility, earn $12,000 a year. The chairman makes $24,000.

NO CONNECTION, APPOINTEES SAY

About two dozen Sanford appointees contacted by The State said they did not give money to Sanford's campaign in hopes of landing a slot on a board or commission.

Harry Butler and his family gave nearly $30,000 to Sanford's campaign. Butler, a real estate developer from Georgetown, said he's known Sanford since the governor was first elected to Congress in 1994. Sanford's children also went to the same preschool as Butler's son.

"Over time and exposure to him," Butler said, "I was taken with his honesty and directness and desire to bring efficiency to government, and, quite honestly, his ability to keep his promises."

Butler, whom Sanford appointed to the State Ports Authority board in June, said he "didn't anticipate being asked to serve on anything" at the time he contributed to Sanford's gubernatorial campaign.

When Sanford called and asked him to serve, Butler said he told the new governor, "I didn't support you to get an appointment." Butler said that Sanford then told him, "I know that, but we just really need some businesspeople on that board."

Butler agreed to think about it and, a few weeks later, Sanford called him again. Butler agreed to take the appointment.

Sanford said it was one of the best decisions he's made; Butler already has had an impact.

Referring to a hearing Sanford led recently to discuss the Ports Authority budget, "Nobody has piped up the way he did," Sanford said of Butler. "You have the management team of the Ports Authority looking across the room, glaring at their board member" who's questioning why the port's overhead costs have increased.

Sanford also appointed Y.W. "Bill" Scarborough of Charleston to the board of trustees of the College of Charleston. Scarborough is chief executive officer of Atlantic Coast Life Insurance, which gave $5,500 to Sanford's campaign from September 2001 to June of this year.

"He's a friend," Scarborough said of Sanford, adding that the governor asked him to serve.

Sanford "is one of the politicians I've known that's stuck to what he said he was going to do," Scarborough said.

'BEST INTEREST OF THE STATE'

Clarence Davis, who gave $1,500 to the governor's campaign, has been a familiar figure in Sanford's 8-month-old administration. He served on Sanford's transition team and chaired the governor's economic development task force.

In June, Sanford appointed Davis to Santee Cooper's board.

"The governor asked me whether I would serve," Davis said. "It was not my idea."

"I did not pursue any appointments," Davis said. "What I pursued was to do whatever I think is in the best interest of the state and the governor's office."

Three of Sanford's five appointees to the State Ethics Commission have ties to Sanford through campaign contributions. The Ethics Commission would consider any ethics complaint filed against Sanford. Once appointed, members are prohibited by law from donating to political campaigns.

John Cannon of Aiken is married to June Cannon, who donated $1,300 to Sanford's campaign. June Cannon was once an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention.

John Cannon said he's known Sanford for five or six years. The governor's office approached him to serve on the Ethics Commission.

Cannon said if any complaint against Sanford came before the commission, he would recuse himself from the decision -- but not because his wife gave money to the campaign.

"It's just because I was appointed by the governor," Cannon said. "It doesn't matter what his name was. Anybody should do the same."

'OH, DEAR NO'

Sanford appointed Lisa Stevens of Greenville, a former Greenville County Republican Party chairwoman, to the state Board of Education. Stevens gave $500 to Sanford's campaign.

"He was looking for somebody who shared his views of returning as much control (of schools) as possible to the local level and offering parents as much choice as possible," she said.

Stevens said she's known Sanford since they were in college together at Greenville's Furman University. Did she expect her donation to lead to an appointment?

"Oh, dear no," Stevens said.

The governor's office called her, she said, and asked "if there was anything I'd be interested in."

Because of her work on local planning issues, Stevens said she was willing to serve on the Conservation Land Bank. She was told the governor wasn't ready to fill those slots, Stevens said. Then Sanford called and asked her to consider the education board.

At first, Stevens said no. Her children were in private school, and she didn't want to be ridiculed for setting policy for public schools when her children wouldn't be affected.

But, she said, she and her husband decided to send their children to public school this year and so she changed her mind and accepted the appointment.

Robert Pearce of Mount Pleasant and his wife, Pamela, gave $3,000 to Sanford's campaign. Sanford appointed him to the board of the Research Centers of Excellence.

Pearce said he would "jump off a cliff" if Sanford told him to, but there has been no favoritism shown because of his contribution.

"I haven't even gotten an invitation to the Governor's Mansion."