New Jersey governor calls on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign after investigation
U.S. PoliticsWell-covered
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The Facts
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill called on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign by Friday.
- An outside investigation concluded Caldwell violated New Jersey workplace-discrimination and ethics policies.
- Investigators concluded Caldwell’s conduct constituted sexual harassment.
- The investigation found Caldwell sought a promotion for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship.
- Investigators found Caldwell did not disclose the romantic relationship when seeking the promotion.
- The investigation began after the state’s chief ethics officer received an anonymous letter in May.
- Sherrill cannot unilaterally force Caldwell from office.
Context
What did the investigation find?
The report concluded that Caldwell’s conduct constituted sexual harassment and violated workplace-discrimination and ethics policies. It found he sought a promotion for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship without disclosing the relationship. NYT Hindustan Times CBS News POLITICO
What prompted the investigation?
The inquiry began after New Jersey’s chief ethics officer received an anonymous letter in May raising concerns about Caldwell’s conduct. NYT Hindustan Times theepochtimes.com 6abc Action News
Can the governor remove the lieutenant governor?
Reports said Sherrill could call for Caldwell’s resignation but did not have authority to unilaterally force him from office. POLITICO U.S. News & World R…
Where Left and Right agree
Left and right largely agree on this one.
- What both sides accept
- Both framings conclude Caldwell should resign now, given findings of harassment and an undisclosed promotion for a romantic partner.
- Where Left and Right differ in emphasis
- Both want his resignation; the left frames it as accountability owed to vulnerable subordinate workers, the right as a personal failure of honor.
- Watch for
- Watch whether Caldwell resigns by the Friday deadline Sherrill set after the Sept. 24 report, or instead remains in office past it, as his attorney has denied all allegations and called the process unfair.The Princetonian, Palm Beach Daily News
How left and right read it
Whoever works under a lieutenant governor cannot negotiate as an equal, which is why harassment findings at that level are a workplace-safety failure, not a personal embarrassment. Accountability owed to those workers has to be said out loud, and Caldwell should go.
“Sherrill, a first-term former Navy pilot who's built a budding national profile on the military mantras of transparency and accountability, has declined to acknowledge the existence of the investigation.” — POLITICO
Public office is a trust, not personal property, and the test is whether a man with authority over promotions keeps his private attachments out of the personnel file. Caldwell failed it — investigators concluded he sought a promotion for an employee he was romantically involved with, never disclosed the relationship, and violated the state's workplace and ethics rules. He should take it.
“The explosive 61-page report released Thursday paints a picture of a politician run amok” — New York Post
The receipts — 56 sources
Wire services (2)
Independent coverage (54)
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