New Jersey’s governor called on her hand-picked lieutenant governor to resign by Friday after a law firm hired by her office concluded he behaved inappropriately around women.
The firm's report published Wednesday found that Caldwell violated the state’s policy prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. It said he made an advance toward a staffer’s friend and when he was rebuffed, he told the staffer, “you young women are looking for young sperm.”
“The investigation found that the Lieutenant Governor engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office,” Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement.
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,” he said in a statement.
The report also accused Caldwell of breaking the state’s ethics rules by trying to get a promotion for a state employee he was dating.
Caldwell emailed an unnamed official recommending his romantic partner, who he called a friend, for a promotion to a leadership position, the report said.
The report also says he brought his personal guests to ticketed events without paying for them.
“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,” the report said.
Sherrill, a Democrat, said Caldwell’s “ethical lapses” continued even with multiple warnings and trainings. She called his resignation “in the best interest of New Jersey residents.”
“These violations substantiated in the investigation reflect a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this Administration,” she said.
A Methodist pastor, Caldwell was president of Centenary University for two years before being elected lieutenant governor, a post that has existed in New Jersey for around 20 years.
While candidates for governor get to pick the people who will appear on the ticket as their running mate, and serve as lieutenant governor, it is an independently elected position.
New Jersey’s governor cannot fire Caldwell. She has the power to assign, or remove, him from certain responsibilities, and could effectively sideline him from playing an active role in state government. But lieutenant governors can be impeached and removed from office by the Legislature.
As lieutenant governor, Caldwell is first in line to become the governor if Sherrill were to die, be removed from office or become incapacitated. The lieutenant governor’s office, while more than ceremonial, is largely subservient to the governor.
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Golden reported from Seattle.
