New Jersey governor’s showdown with her No. 2 escalates over his alleged inappropriate behavior

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s Democratic governor worked Friday to sever ties with her own lieutenant governor after he was accused of inappropriate behavior with women, giving him an ultimatum to resign by the end of the day and quickly end a scandal that threatened to be a drag on her fledgling administration.

The showdown between Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell comes weeks ahead of midterm elections that will decide who controls Congress. State Republicans have hammered Sherrill for weeks on the investigation into Caldwell, who oversees elections as New Jersey’s secretary of state and also serves as acting governor in her absence.

Sherrill scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon at the State House in Trenton to address the situation. She had called for Caldwell to resign on Thursday after a law firm she hired concluded he behaved inappropriately around women.

The Democrat, who had hand-picked Caldwell for the role as her second-in-command, said his “serious, repeated violations of state policy” continued even after multiple warnings and trainings.

But Caldwell has disputed the allegations and has shown no signs he might leave office willingly. In New Jersey, a governor can’t simply fire the lieutenant governor, as the post is independently elected.

Lieutenant governors can be impeached and removed from office by the Legislature, and the governor can strip a lieutenant governor of certain duties and responsibilities, effectively sidelining them from the administration.

A Methodist pastor, Caldwell served as president of Centenary University in Hackettstown before Sherrill tapped him as her running mate last year, making him first in line to lead the state should she die, be removed from office or become incapacitated.

Republican state Sen. Kristin Corrado questioned Sherrill’s judgment over allowing Caldwell to fill in for the governor when she’s away, even as his conduct was being investigated.

“New Jersey residents deserve leadership, transparency, and answers from their government,” she said Friday. “So far, we have gotten none.”

Messages left with leaders of the Democrat-led Legislature went unanswered Friday morning.

In a report dated Wednesday but released Thursday, the lawyers said Caldwell had committed several violations of state policy. It said Caldwell, 66, had 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 also 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.

Caldwell denied any misconduct, and said in a letter included in the law firm’s report that he suspected his relationships with women were being subjected to extra scrutiny because he was a single Black man.

Caldwell’s lawyer, Thomas Calcagni, said his client “categorically denies” making the sperm statement but acknowledged that Caldwell had recommended the woman for a promotion, though he denied ordering anyone to promote her. Caldwell denied other claims, including that he gives out his business cards to women for inappropriate reasons.

Caldwell, who is Black and served for decades on the New Brunswick Board of Education, has suggested race played a role in the allegations.

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.

___

Marcelo reported from New York.