Sherrill cited ‘series, repeated violations’ in Friday resignation demand
New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell’s attorney publicly rejected a 61-page independent investigation released Thursday that accused the lieutenant governor of sexual harassment, calling the report’s reliance on anonymous testimony “multi-layered hearsay” and accusing it of twisting innocuous language into evidence of improper motive.
“Unfortunately, the report twists seemingly benign phrases, such as ‘executive presence,’ to imply improper motive; relies heavily and unduly on the anonymous complainant’s perceptions, characterizations and multi-layered hearsay; and disregards the testimony of staffers who did not share those views, as well as the lieutenant governor’s own account,” Thomas Calcagni said in a statement to NJ.com.
The investigation’s findings triggered Gov. Mikie Sherrill to set a Friday deadline for Caldwell’s resignation. Sherrill, in her own statement Thursday, said the report found Caldwell “engaged in series, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office.”
“I’m calling for his resignation and giving him until tomorrow to do so,” Sherrill said.
The 61-page report, released Thursday, found that Caldwell made sexually explicit comments to a female staff member and attempted to have a romantic interest promoted to a position in state government, according to United Press International.
Calcagni’s statement said the report also disregarded the testimony of staffers who did not share the complainant’s views and the lieutenant governor’s own account.