Quick Facts
Biography
Jim Davenport (1958 – December 31, 2012) was an American journalist and reporter with the Associated Press, based in South Carolina.
Davenport, who graduated from the University of South Carolina, held a master's degree in English.
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. Sanford had to pay a $74,000 fine for ethics violation, which is the largest ethics penalty charged in South Carolina state history.
On October 26, 2012, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley presented Davenport with the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian honor, at a ceremony held at his home in Columbia, South Carolina.
Davenport died on December 31, 2012, at the age of 54 after a two-year battle with cancer.