Former New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell is pushing back hard after a sexual harassment and ethics probe blew up his time in office. He says his resignation was about clearing the runway for Gov. Mikie Sherrill, while the report behind his exit paints a much uglier picture.
Caldwell spoke on camera for the first time after stepping down and didn’t hold back. He called the state’s report “specious,” “ridiculous” and “poorly done,” and said he wanted to avoid becoming a distraction for the new administration.
That resignation came only a day after Sherrill publicly demanded he leave following a months-long independent investigation. The 61-page report laid out repeated ethics violations, including a “substantiated” sexual harassment finding and concerns about efforts to help a woman he had been romantically involved with get a state promotion.
Standing outside his home, Caldwell rejected the core findings and insisted the decision was about responsibility, not guilt. “I’m not resigning because of that ridiculous report,” Caldwell said on camera. “I’m resigning because I don’t want to be a distraction to the Mikie Sherrill administration.
He kept leaning into the theme of stepping aside for the good of the office, saying that if he might interfere with the governor’s agenda, he would rather move on. Caldwell pointed to his background in higher education and consulting as evidence that he has other places to go and other ways to contribute.
Asked about the allegations themselves, he dodged the deeper details and said people should read the report for themselves. Even then, he made clear he disagreed with how the case was handled and said he would only discuss specifics through his attorney.
The report’s findings were blunt. Investigators said Caldwell told a female staffer, after hearing that her younger friend was not interested in him, that “you young women are looking for young sperm,” and they said his denial was not believable.
There were other problems, too. The probe said he violated ethics rules by bringing guests to ticketed events without paying reimbursement and by seeking a promotion for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship.
His lawyers have said they strongly dispute the findings and argue the conclusions go beyond the evidence. Sherrill, though, backed the investigation and said it was thorough, detailed, and clear about what was examined and how the conclusions were reached.
She also said the harassment finding was substantiated and that Caldwell kept running into trouble even after ethics training and multiple warnings. The clash leaves a sharp split between Caldwell’s version of events and the state’s official account, with neither side sounding eager to give ground.
Caldwell said he texted Sherrill on Friday and described her as “a wonderful person” who “really means well,” even while defending himself. He added that he plans to keep working as a private citizen and said he is looking forward to staying involved on the outside.
The fallout also reached beyond the lieutenant governor’s office. Caldwell had been serving as New Jersey’s secretary of state, which means he also oversaw election-related duties at a tense point on the calendar.
Sherrill said acting comptroller Shirley Emehelu will step in as acting secretary of state with the midterm elections approaching. Under the state constitution, the governor has 45 days to permanently fill the lieutenant governor vacancy, and Sherrill said she will make that appointment within the deadline while skipping an acting lieutenant governor for now.
That leaves an awkward gap in the chain of command if an emergency comes up before a permanent replacement is in place. In that situation, the line of succession would fall to Senate President Nicholas Scutari, a detail that keeps the political pressure high even as the administration tries to move forward.
