New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigned Friday after Gov. Mikie Sherrill demanded he quit amid an inquiry into alleged ethical lapses and sexual harassment. Sherrill defended the inquiry; Caldwell denied the allegations and said resigning was no admission.
Sherrill said she asked Caldwell to resign after seeing the complaints and the investigation’s findings. The inquiry, conducted by a law firm she hired, began in May; details began leaking shortly before Labor Day, and its report was released Thursday night. She said keeping the investigation quiet was professional and fair to all parties.
Caldwell’s attorney disputed that he made sexually charged comments to staff and argued that he was denied due process. Republicans asked when and how much Sherrill knew about the allegations; the column also questions why Caldwell served as acting governor during her 18-day absence while the inquiry was underway.
