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.
[2] He worked for AP for more than 12 years, focusing on keeping the citizens of South Carolina informed and holding their state representatives accountable.
In the article, titled, A Slave Memorial Now Stands Amid State's Tributes to Confederacy, he wrote:[5] "The semicircular arms of gray granite reach out to embrace a depiction of a slave ship's crammed cargo hold and a map of Africa...Benches along the walls invite people to sit and think and maybe look at the Confederate flag.
"[6] 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.