Gov. Sanford Tells Of More Meetings With Mistress; Says He 'Crossed Lines' With Other Women

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford "is admitting more encounters with his Argentine mistress than he previously has disclosed," the Associated Press reports.

The wire service says it had a "lengthy, emotional interview" with the Republican governor today. It says he:

Described seven meetings with the woman, including their first in 2001.

Said there have been five such meetings over a 12-month period, including two multi-night stays with her in New York.

According to the AP, "it was the first disclosure of any get-togethers with her in the United States and contradicted a public confession last week during which he admitted to a total of four encounters in the past year.

Update at 2:30 p.m. ET. The AP continues to parcel out stunning statements from the governor. Here's the latest top to its story:

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he "crossed lines" with a handful of women other than his mistress — but never had sex with them.

The governor says he "never crossed the ultimate line" with anyone but Maria Belen Chapur, the Argentine at the center of a scandal that has derailed Sanford's once-promising political career.

During an emotional interview at his Statehouse office with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Sanford said Chapur is his soul mate but he's trying to fall back in love with his wife.

He says that during the other encounters he "let his guard down" with some physical contact but "didn't cross the sex line." He wouldn't go into detail.

Sanford said the casual encounters happened outside the U.S. while he was married but before he met Chapur.

Update at 12:40 p.m. ET. The AP adds more to its story:

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Tuesday that he saw his Argentine mistress more times than previously disclosed, including what was to be a farewell meeting in New York chaperoned by a spiritual adviser soon after his wife found out about the affair.

In a lengthy and emotional interview with The Associated Press in his Statehouse office, the governor described five meetings with Maria Belen Chapur over the past year, including two romantic, multi-night stays with her in New York before they met there again intending to break up.

He said he met her two other times — their first meeting in 2001 at an open-air dance spot in Uruguay and a coffee date in New York in 2004 during the Republican National Convention. He said neither time was romantic.