Jim Davenport

James Raymond Davenport III (1958 – December 31, 2012), born in Great Falls, Montana, was an American journalist and reporter with the Associated Press, based in South Carolina. Davenport graduated from the University of South Carolina, with a bachelor's and a master's degree in English and journalism.

Davenport worked for the Associated Press for more than 12 years, keeping the citizens of South Carolina informed on the work of their state representatives and special interest groups who tried to exert influence on them.

Career After graduation, Davenport began working at The State, eventually leaving in 1999, to work for The Associated Press.

In March, 2001, he wrote about the dedication of a new monument to African American history. In the article, titled, A Slave Memorial Now Stands Amid State's Tributes to Confederacy, he wrote:

Finally, on February 1, 2005, Davenport reported on the death of a man who called himself, Rev. E. Slave, who had been an advocate of the removal of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse dome, saying once, "that flag depresses me...it makes me think I'm going back into slavery."

Reporting on Mark Sanford

In 2009, Davenport was the first reporter to break the story that then-Governor Mark Sanford had been out of state for several days, uncovering a sex scandal. Davenport reported that Sanford had used South Carolinian government-owned planes for personal trips and had used taxpayer funds for upgrades to first-class seating on flights. A selection of the articles that Davenport wrote are listed below.

Where's Sanford? S.C. first lady, staff won't discuss his whereabouts, June 22, 2009. Wife, sons of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford move out of official residence, August 7, 2009. South Carolina's Mark Sanford fails to list 35 flights, August 22, 2009. S.C. Gov. Sanford to face ethics charges over affair, November 19, 2009. Decision looms on Stanford's impeachment, December 8, 2009. Jenny Sanford files for divorce, December 11, 2009.

Sanford had to pay a $74,000 fine for ethics violation, which is the largest ethics penalty charged in South Carolina state history.

Other awards include:

Personal Davenport died on December 31, 2012, at the age of 54 after a two-year battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Debra, and one daughter.