NJ Lt. Gov. Caldwell ’82 resigns after report finds sexual harassment and ethics violations

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State Dale Caldwell ’82 has resigned, Governor Mikie Sherrill announced at a press conference in Trenton on Friday afternoon.

Caldwell “demonstrated a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this administration,” Sherrill said. “He submitted his resignation to me this afternoon, which I accepted.”

The announcement comes a day after the findings of an investigation concerning Caldwell’s alleged workplace misconduct and ethics violations were released by Sherrill’s office. At the time of the report’s release, Sherrill gave Caldwell one day to resign. The independent investigation was opened in May but was first reported publicly by The New Jersey Globe on Sept. 4.

The report concluded that Caldwell, a Princeton alumnus, had violated policies by making a remark that constituted sexual harassment, bringing guests without reimbursement to events he was attending in his official capacity, and recommending his girlfriend for a promotion without disclosing their relationship. A lawyer for Caldwell denied that Caldwell’s actions constituted policy violations and called the investigation unjust in a Thursday night statement.

“I had to make the tough decision to resign today,” Caldwell wrote in a text message to The Daily Princetonian as the press conference was ongoing. “The fight was hurting my daughter emotionally.”

Caldwell also shared a message from his daughter, Ashley Caldwell, a New Brunswick school board member and a graduate of Rutgers University.

“You have always been in it for the right reasons, while unfortunately, not everyone is. I’m sorry that they are doing this to you. It breaks my heart to see how quickly people are willing to believe what they see in the media without knowing the full story or having the evidence to support it,” Ashley Caldwell wrote.

Dale Caldwell shared a follow-up statement following the conference. He called the report’s findings unsubstantiated and said he resigned to not distract from the work of the administration.

“My resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing or acceptance of the report’s findings,” Caldwell wrote. “I strongly dispute the report, which I believe is inaccurate and cites violations that are unsubstantiated. I will continue to defend my name, my character and the truth.”

“I have made the difficult decision to resign because I do not want this matter to distract from the important work of the administration or its responsibility to the people of New Jersey. I want Governor Mikie Sherrill and her administration to have every opportunity to succeed,” he wrote in the statement.

Sherrill announced that she does not intend to name an acting lieutenant governor as the process of naming a new lieutenant governor is undertaken over the next 45 days. Shirley Emehelu, who has been the acting state comptroller during Sherrill’s term, will now serve as acting secretary of state. 

As part of her new position, Emehelu will oversee the Nov. 3 midterm elections. “It is of paramount importance that our elections run smoothly,” Sherrill said.

The role of the secretary of state came under increased scrutiny after Sherrill revealed in July that New Jersey had mistakenly registered around 6,600 noncitizens under her predecessor Phil Murphy’s term. Approximately 340 of those improperly registered went on to vote in an election.

“She has the judgment to run these elections and the strength to stand up to Trump’s attacks on voting,” Sherrill said of Emehelu. “New Jerseyans deserve fairness, and they deserve accountability. And we will work every single day to earn your trust.”

“I am grateful for this new opportunity to serve the people of New Jersey,” Emehelu said at the press conference.

Sherrill said at the press conference that she had spoken with Caldwell on Thursday and texted with him Friday as they “went through the process” of his resignation. Responding to the announcement released by Caldwell’s lawyer Thursday night, Sherrill recommended that those concerned about the fairness of the investigation read the report.

“What was so important to me was to make sure that if there are substantiated claims of sexual harassment and ethics violation, that I, as the leader of the government, handle that,” Sherrill said. “There has been a culture and trend, probably since the birth of our nation, to sweep this under the rug.”

“You can speak to numerous people who worked in the statehouse for decades who thought this day would never come, that allegations would never be taken seriously, action would never be taken, and victims would just have to either quit their job or move on,” Sherrill continued. “That is not the kind of government I’m running.”

The investigation was opened in May after an anonymous complaint to the state regarding Caldwell’s behavior towards women and his bringing unticketed guests to events without getting them reimbursed. Christopher Porrino, a former New Jersey attorney general, led the investigation along with Shontae Gray, a former assistant U.S. attorney.

Caldwell did not attend the press conference.

Should Sherrill travel out of state before a new lieutenant governor has been appointed, State Senate President Nicholas Scutari will step into the position of acting governor.

“His decision will allow us to move forward,” Sherrill said of Caldwell’s resignation during the conference.

Luke Grippo is a head News editor for the ‘Prince.’ He is from South Jersey, and typically covers the state of higher education, University affairs, and state politics. He can be reached at luke.grippo[at]dailyprincetonian.com.

Oliver Wu is the assistant News editor for the ‘Prince’ leading town coverage, focused on the Municipality of Princeton and beyond. He is from Stony Brook, N.Y., and can be reached at oliver.wu[at]dailyprincetonian.com.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.