A Family Court judge in South Carolina ordered Mark Sanford, former governor of South Carolina and current U.S. Representative for that state, and his former wife Jenny into mandatory mediation over a dispute regarding support funds for their two youngest sons.

Sanford and his wife divorced following his famous five-day disappearance in 2009, later found to have been a trip to Argentina to visit with his mistress.  Sanford resigned from the governorship in the ensuing scandal and the two divorced.  Sanford is now engaged to his former mistress, and has rebuilt his political career with his election to the House of Representatives.

At issue are trust funds established for the two boys.  The divorce settlement both parents agreed to established the funds and both agreed that they would work together to ensure the younger boys’ funds were kept at equal levels with two funds established previously for their two older children.

Jenny Sanford has been combative and difficult throughout the divorce and post-divorce period, and has brought Mark Sanford into court on several occasions charging failure to comply with previous agreements and court orders.  Whether this is a campaign of reprisal or legitimate efforts to ensure compliance with divorce decree details, the family court judge in this instance clearly believes it’s not a matter for the court to waste time or resources on.

The mediation will be scheduled in the near future.  If a settlement cannot be reached on the subject, the couple will return to family court to make arguments.