Sherrill calls on Caldwell to resign by Friday; lawyer disputes probe
A law firm hired by Governor Mikie Sherrill’s office published a report Wednesday concluding that New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell violated the state’s policy prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. The investigation found that Caldwell made an advance toward a staffer’s friend and, when he was rebuffed, told the staffer: “You young women are looking for young sperm.”
The same report accused Caldwell of breaking the state’s ethics rules in two additional ways: by trying to get a promotion for a state employee he was dating, and by bringing personal guests to ticketed events without paying for them. Articulating the standard Caldwell was found to have violated, the report stated: “Where a sponsor waives admission to an event for an official’s family member, friend, or date, the value of that admission is an impermissible benefit to the official.”
Sherrill, a Democrat, on Thursday called on Caldwell to resign by Friday. “The investigation found that the Lieutenant Governor engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office,” Sherrill said in a statement. She added that Caldwell’s “ethical lapses” continued even with multiple warnings and trainings, and called his resignation “in the best interest of New Jersey residents.” She also said: “These violations substantiated in the investigation reflect a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this Administration.”
Caldwell’s lawyer, Thomas Calcagni, disputed the allegations, calling the investigation a “one-sided operation” that did not include necessary due process. “The Lieutenant Governor was not provided a meaningful opportunity to address each of these anonymous allegations,” Calcagni said in a statement.