South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on Tuesday justified his use of state planes for personal trips in which he often brought along his wife and four sons, saying his taxpayer-funded travel was no different than that of his predecessors.

"I've got a busy life, and I've tried as best I can _ within the context of the current mess-up, that has been more than well-chronicled, and more than well talked about _ to be a reasonable father, while at the same time, being a good governor," Sanford said in response to questions from reporters after a Cabinet meeting. "I can't tell you the number of sporting events I've missed, of theirs."

An Associated Press investigation found that Sanford used state aircraft for personal and political trips, contrary to state law regarding official use.

Records reviewed by AP showed that since he took office in 2003, the two-term Republican has taken trips on state aircraft to locations of his children's sporting events, hair and dentist appointments, political party gatherings and a birthday party for a campaign donor.

On many occasions, records showed, the governor mingled his non-official travels with official business.

Sanford, 49, has been under increased scrutiny since admitting in June to having a mistress in Argentina. He's vowed to stay in office and says he is trying to reconcile with his wife, who has moved out of the governor's mansion to live at the family's beach house with their sons. The governor said Tuesday the couple were not divorcing.

The governor has made a political career out of being outwardly thrifty _ known to demand that state employees use both sides of Post-It notes. He has frequently railed against government spending, and attempted for months to block federal stimulus money for South Carolina schools.

Last month, the AP revealed how Sanford had flown first class and business class on commercial airlines at taxpayer expense, despite a law requiring lowest-cost travel.

"It's been the long-standing practice of the Department of Commerce to get governors a business-class ticket. ... I'm not trying to defend the practice, but I'm just saying, that has been the practice, and there is some level of common sense to it," Sanford said. "If you're going to step straight into business meetings that have significant economic consequence for the people of our state, you need to have gotten some level of sleep the night before."

Sanford's office has said the governor did not break the law in flying business-class and only used the plane for official state business.