TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey ’s Democratic lieutenant governor resigned Friday after the governor demanded he step down over accusations of inappropriate behavior with women and ethics lapses.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill had given Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell until Friday to resign, seeking to end a scandal that threatened to be a drag on her fledgling administration.
Republicans have hammered Sherrill for weeks on the investigation into Caldwell, who serves as acting governor in her absence. He also oversees elections as New Jersey’s secretary of state, and his resignation comes weeks ahead of midterm elections that will decide who controls Congress.
At a news conference announcing the resignation, Sherrill said she was committed to changing what she called a longstanding problem in state government of people turning a blind eye to sexual harassment.
“There has been a culture in Trenton, probably since the birth of our nation, to sweep this under the rug,” she said.
“That is not the kind of government I’m running,” she added. “When I say there is a culture change taking place, I mean it.”
Sherrill picked Caldwell, a Methodist pastor and former president of Centenary University, as her running mate last year. They took office in January, but within four months, Caldwell had become the subject of an anonymous complaint about his behavior with women.
She called for him to resign on Thursday after a law firm she hired concluded he behaved inappropriately around women.
Caldwell has disputed the allegations and initially showed no signs he would leave office willingly. In a statement, his attorney Thomas Calcagni said Caldwell stepped down in order to end a “campaign to discredit his character,” and said they are exploring legal options to challenge the report.
In New Jersey, a governor can’t fire the lieutenant governor because the post is independently elected. But the state's second-in-command can be impeached and removed from office by the Legislature. A governor can strip a lieutenant governor of nearly all duties and responsibilities, effectively sidelining them from the administration.
Sherrill said she spoke and texted with Caldwell in recent days and that he chose to resign because he cared about their agenda and the challenges facing the state. But she declined to say whether he expressed any remorse.
The law firm’s report released Thursday said Caldwell committed several violations of state policy. It said Caldwell, 66, made an advance toward a staff member’s friend and when he was rebuffed told the staffer, “you young women are looking for young sperm.”
The report said Caldwell had tried to get a promotion for a state employee he was dating and brought personal guests to the opera and other ticketed events without paying for them, as required by ethics rules.
In a letter included in the report, Caldwell said he suspected his relationships with women were being subjected to extra scrutiny because he was a single Black man.
Caldwell’s lawyer previously said his client “categorically denies” making the sperm statement but acknowledged that Caldwell had recommended the woman for a promotion, although he denied ordering anyone to promote her. Caldwell denied other claims, including that he gave out his business cards to women for inappropriate reasons.
Until a new lieutenant governor is named, state Senate President Nicholas Scutari will step in as acting governor if Sherrill is away or unable to perform her duties.
In neighboring New York, a similar impasse has played out over the past year between Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and her estranged Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who launched a caustic primary challenge to unseat her only to withdraw from the race as the election neared.
Hochul is now running for reelection in November with Adrienne Adams, the former speaker of the New York City Council, as her replacement lieutenant governor nominee.
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Marcelo reported from New York.
