New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell has resigned after an investigation commissioned by Gov. Mikie Sherrill found that his behavior toward women violated state ethics rules, the governor said at a news conference on Friday.
Caldwell, who also served as secretary of state, submitted his resignation on Friday afternoon. Sherrill said she will “move swiftly and thoughtfully” to appoint a lieutenant governor, and named acting Comptroller Shirley Emehelu as acting secretary of state to administer the midterm elections in New Jersey.
The report on Caldwell — released Thursday by the office of the governor, a fellow Democrat — found that he made a sexual comment to a female staffer that constituted sexual harassment. He also brought nonpaying guests to seven ticketed events and repeatedly tried to secure a promotion for his girlfriend, who was a state employee at the time, according to the report compiled by former state Attorney General Christopher Porrino.
Sherrill said Friday that the report found Caldwell “failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office” and that he “demonstrated a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this administration.”
“The report documents serious, repeated violations of state policy, including ethical lapses and a substantiated finding of sexual harassment,” she added.
In an interview with The New York Times, Caldwell said he was not resigning because of the report.
“I’m resigning because I don’t want to be a distraction to the administration,” he said, adding that he wants the governor “to be as successful as possible.”
As the report was released, Sherrill called for the resignation of her second-in-command by Friday. Caldwell initially appeared to resist the report’s conclusions, with his lawyer saying the investigation lacked due process and its findings “create a dangerous and challenging precedent for anyone who wishes to defend against anonymous conjecture and character assassination.”
Sherrill launched an internal investigation into Caldwell, her running mate when she handily won election in November, after allegations emerged by way of an anonymous letter sent to state officials in May. Details about the investigation were unclear until the report’s release.
According to the report from Porrino, who served under Republican Gov. Chris Christie, Caldwell, 66, had made advances toward a female staffer’s much younger friend and was rebuffed. He then told the staffer that she, her friend and women like them “were ambitious and successful and needed a man who was in a position to help them, ‘but you young women are looking for young sperm,’” the report said.
Investigators deemed Caldwell’s denial of the exchange not credible and determined that his behavior constituted sexual harassment.
The report also found seven instances in which Caldwell brought guests who were admitted to a ticketed event without payment, including an opera and Black History Month celebrations. When questioned, Caldwell “said that he did not fully understand the applicable rules, that the area was ‘gray’ and that he did nothing wrong by bringing guests to events,” according to the report.
Caldwell ended up paying back the cost of his guest’s ticket for one of the events, and he and his staff received additional training on workplace conduct and ethics.
Even so, he continued to exhibit improper behavior, investigators said. Caldwell sought a promotion for his then-girlfriend from two officials in a state department without initially disclosing his relationship to the woman, investigators contend. He told investigators that “an ethical concern would arise only if he had insisted that” the woman be hired, the report said.
The woman was not promoted and no longer works for the state government.
Caldwell had served as acting governor during Sherrill’s out-of-state travels — including while the investigation was ongoing, Politico reported this week. Caldwell has not served in that acting role since news of the investigation broke in early September, but the revelation that he assumed the powers of governorship despite the internal review sparked backlash from New Jersey Republicans.
Caldwell has not served in that acting role since news of the investigation broke in early September. But the revelation that he assumed the powers of governorship despite the internal review sparked backlash from New Jersey Republicans, as did Sherrill’s failure to disclose that an investigation into her second in command was underway until months later.
Sherrill dismissed that criticism to reporters on Friday, instead pointing to their party leader, President Donald Trump.
“They’re probably unhappy because we are running an incredibly competent government here in New Jersey, which I think stands in such sharp contrast to everything we see at the federal level,” she said.
It’s unclear who would take over as acting governor if Sherrill leaves the state before a new lieutenant governor is appointed.
The post New Jersey’s lieutenant governor resigns after report finds ‘ethical lapses’ appeared first on MS NOW.
