Lt. Governor Dale Caldwell will resign today, BINJE has learned.
The announcement of his resignation is expected to come from Gov. Mikie Sherrill during a 2:45 p.m. press conference in Trenton.
Last night, Sherrill released the results of an internal investigation that determined Caldwell “engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office.”
The investigation found that Caldwell made a romantic advance toward a female staffer’s friend, brought personal guests to ticketed events without ethics clearance, payment or reimbursement, and attempted multiple times to secure a promotion for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship. Caldwell continued his behavior even after he was warned about his conduct and received ethics trainings, according to the findings.
Caldwell had repeatedly denied the claims, and his attorney had said the investigation did not support the findings. Sherrill had called on her lietuenant to resign by today.
Caldwell, 66, is New Jersey’s fourth modern lieutenant governor, and the first man in that job. A Methodist pastor and former college president, Caldwell ran as a joint candidate on Sherrill’s ticket. They took office in January.
News of the investigation, which began in May, was first reported in early September by the New Jersey Globe. Several lawmakers had blasted Sherrill for a lack of transparency and called for the release of the investigation report. Some had called on Sherrill not to travel out of state so that Caldwell could not serve as acting governor while the investigation was ongoing.
The investigation was sparked by an anonymous three-paragraph letter sent to state officials that accused Caldwell of bringing “uninvited female guests” to events, and asking women out on dates at events.
The investigation revealed additional accusations, including that Caldwell “made a romantic advance toward a female staffer’s friend” and “attempted on multiple occasions to secure a promotion for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship.”
