Dale Caldwell resigned as New Jersey’s lieutenant governor this week, one day after Gov. Mikie Sherrill publicly called for him to step down following an independent ethics investigation that found he sexually harassed a staffer and repeatedly violated state ethics rules.
Speaking on camera for the first time since his resignation, Caldwell told a reporter outside his home that he was stepping aside to avoid becoming a burden to Sherrill’s administration, not because he accepts the report’s conclusions.
“I’m not resigning because of that ridiculous report,” Caldwell said. “I’m resigning because I don’t want to be a distraction to the Mikie Sherrill Administration.”
He called the 61-page report “specious,” “ridiculous” and “poorly done.”
“I just think it was poorly done. It was poorly done. I mean, I just think that there are ways that they could have done better. And, I was just disappointed in the legal, the legal work in that,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell said he was leaving those specifics to his attorney for now, and pointed people toward the report itself rather than answering detailed questions about the allegations.
He also said he’d exchanged text messages with Sherrill on Friday, describing her as “a wonderful person” who “really means well,” though he offered no further details of that conversation.
“This is one of those things that happens. And as I said, I’m going to continue to work as a private citizen. I’m freed up to do a lot more things. So I’m looking forward to supporting the administration and really supporting folks,” Caldwell said, citing his past work as a university president and at the consulting firm Deloitte.
What the investigation found
The independent law firm hired by the state to investigate Caldwell concluded he violated ethics rules after telling a female staffer that “you young women are looking for young sperm” after she told him her younger friend wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship with him. Investigators found the remark amounted to sexual harassment and rejected Caldwell’s denial that he ever said it.
The probe also found Caldwell violated the state’s code of conduct by bringing guests to ticketed events without reimbursing the state, and by repeatedly pushing for a promotion for a state employee with whom he was romantically involved.
Caldwell’s lawyer, Thomas Calcagni, said Thursday the legal team “strongly disputed the three findings in the investigation,” arguing its conclusions “go further than the evidence supports,” according to NBC News.
Sherrill rejected that criticism, calling the investigation “very thorough” and saying it “lays out exactly what the investigation looked into, who they contacted and spoke to, and I think lays out a pattern and practice of long-term concerning behavior.” She described the sexual harassment finding as “substantiated” and said Caldwell kept violating standards despite “multiple” prior ethics trainings.
What happens now
Caldwell had also served as New Jersey’s Secretary of State, an office that oversees elections. With midterm elections weeks away, Sherrill announced that acting Comptroller Shirley Emehelu will take over as acting Secretary of State.
Under the New Jersey Constitution, Sherrill has 45 days to permanently fill the lieutenant governor vacancy, and she has confirmed she will do so within that window. She said she does not plan to name anyone to fill the role on an acting basis in the meantime. Until a permanent appointment is made, Senate President Nicholas Scutari would become governor if Sherrill were to leave the state or if an emergency required a successor.
