CNN's Peter Hamby reports this hour that South Carolina legislators may be prepping for impeachment proceedings against Gov. Mark Sanford (R) when they reconvene next year.

Rep. Boyd Brown said ranking members of the House Judiciary Committee told him Wednesday that several Republicans on the committee are prepared to team up with Democrats to begin the impeachment process if Sanford doesn't resign or agree to a full-scale investigation into his travel expenses before the end of the year.

At least one Republican on the Judiciary Committee contacted by CNN Thursday -- Rep. Greg Delleney -- said he would sign on to an impeachment effort.

The Republican chairman of the committee, Rep. Jim Harrison, said he has not yet had the chance to talk to committee members about where they stand on the matter. But he said the impeachment drumbeat could easily get louder.

Sanford may be more "politically dead" than even he thought.