New Jersey governor asks her lieutenant governor to resign over ethics and sexual harassment report

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New Jersey’s governor called on her hand-picked lieutenant governor to resign by Friday after a law firm hired by her office concluded he behaved inappropriately around women.

The firm’s report published Wednesday found that Dale Caldwell violated the state’s policy prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. It said he made an advance toward a staffer’s friend and when he was rebuffed, he told the staffer, “you young women are looking for young sperm.”

“The investigation found that the Lieutenant Governor engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office,” Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement Thursday.

Caldwell’s lawyer, Thomas Calcagni, disputed the allegations, calling the investigation a one-sided operation that did not include necessary due process.

“The Lieutenant Governor was not provided a meaningful opportunity to address each of these anonymous allegations,” he said in a statement.

Caldwell “categorically denies” making the alleged statement about women wanting sperm, the lawyer said, adding that a state police trooper who was present at the time didn’t hear it said.

The report also accused Caldwell of breaking the state’s ethics rules by trying to get a promotion for a state employee he was dating.

In May, Caldwell emailed an unnamed official recommending his romantic partner, who he called a friend, for a promotion to a leadership position, the report said. He included her resume and a letter she sent expressing interest in a senior leadership position, according to the report.

Calcagni acknowledged that Caldwell had recommended a promotion for a woman with whom he had a personal relationship, but said he believed she was qualified for the job and hadn’t ordered anyone to promote her.

“There is a difference between failing to disclose a personal relationship when forwarding the resume of a qualified job applicant and actually using the power of public office to secure a job or financial benefit for someone,” Calcagni said.

The report also found seven ticketed events between Feb. 19 and May 23 where Caldwell reportedly brought one or more guests without paying for them. The events included one at the State Opera of New Jersey and a Rowan University Rosa Parks Scholarship Luncheon, with tickets ranging from $65 to $300, according to the report.

“Where a sponsor waives admission to an event for an official’s family member, friend, or date, the value of that admission is an impermissible benefit to the official,” the report said.

In May, Caldwell sent a message responding to accusations of ethical violations against him. He denied several claims, including that he gives out his businesses cards to women for inappropriate reasons, calling that “categorically untrue.”

“Unfortunately, in this current political environment, false accusations, especially against people of color, seem to be commonplace,” Caldwell, who is Black, wrote.

Sherrill, a Democrat, said Caldwell’s “ethical lapses” continued even with multiple warnings and trainings. She called his resignation “in the best interest of New Jersey residents.”

“These violations substantiated in the investigation reflect a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this Administration,” she said.

A Methodist pastor, Caldwell was president of Centenary University for two years before being elected lieutenant governor, a post that has existed in New Jersey for around 20 years.

While candidates for governor get to pick the people who will appear on the ticket as their running mate, and serve as lieutenant governor, it is an independently elected position.

New Jersey’s governor cannot fire Caldwell. She has the power to assign, or remove, him from certain responsibilities, and could effectively sideline him from playing an active role in state government. But lieutenant governors can be impeached and removed from office by the Legislature.

As lieutenant governor, Caldwell is first in line to become the governor if Sherrill were to die, be removed from office or become incapacitated. The lieutenant governor’s office, while more than ceremonial, is largely subservient to the governor.

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新泽西州州长要求她亲自挑选的副州长在周五之前辞职，此前她办公室聘请的一家律师事务所得出结论，认为该副州长对女性行为不当。

该公司周三发布的报告指出，戴尔·考德威尔违反了该州禁止工作场所歧视的政策。报告称，他曾对一名员工的朋友进行性骚扰，遭到拒绝后，他告诉该员工：“你们这些年轻女人是想找年轻的精子。”

“调查发现，副州长严重、反复违反州政策，未能履行其职务职责，”州长米基·谢里尔周四在一份声明中表示。

卡德威尔的律师托马斯·卡尔卡尼对这些指控提出异议，称调查是一场片面的行动，没有包括必要的正当程序。

他在一份声明中说：“副州长没有得到有意义的机会来回应每一项匿名指控。”

律师表示，卡德威尔“断然否认”发表过关于女性想要精子的所谓言论，并补充说，当时在场的一名州警并没有听到这句话。

该报告还指控卡德威尔违反了该州的道德规范，试图为他正在交往的一名州雇员谋取晋升。

报告称，今年5月，卡德威尔曾向一位未透露姓名的官员发送电子邮件，推荐他的伴侣（他称之为朋友）晋升到领导职位。报告还指出，他在邮件中附上了伴侣的简历以及她写给该官员的一封表达对高级领导职位感兴趣的信。

卡尔卡尼承认考德威尔曾推荐一位与他有私人关系的女性获得晋升，但他表示，他认为该女性有资格胜任这份工作，并且没有命令任何人提拔她。

卡尔卡尼说：“在转发合格求职者的简历时未披露个人关系，与实际利用公职权力为他人谋取工作或经济利益，这两者之间是有区别的。”

报告还发现，在2月19日至5月23日期间，卡德威尔曾七次携带一名或多名未付费的客人参加有售票活动。这些活动包括新泽西州立歌剧院的演出和罗文大学罗莎·帕克斯奖学金午宴，据报告显示，门票价格从65美元到300美元不等。

报告称：“如果赞助商免除官员的家人、朋友或约会对象参加活动的入场费，那么该入场费对官员而言就是不合法的利益。”

五月份，卡德威尔就针对他的道德违规指控发表了一份声明。他否认了多项指控，包括他出于不正当目的向女性发放名片，称这些指控“完全不属实”。

“不幸的是，在当前的政治环境下，虚假指控，尤其是针对有色人种的虚假指控，似乎已司空见惯，”身为黑人的卡德威尔写道。

民主党籍的谢里尔表示，尽管多次受到警告和培训，考德威尔的“道德失范”依然持续。她称他的辞职“符合新泽西州居民的最大利益”。

“调查证实的这些违规行为反映出一种不符合本届政府标准的行为模式，”她说。

卡德威尔是一位卫理公会牧师，在当选副州长之前，他曾担任百年大学校长两年。副州长这一职位在新泽西州已经存在了大约 20 年。

虽然州长候选人可以挑选竞选搭档和副州长人选，但州长职位是独立选举产生的。

新泽西州州长无权解雇卡德威尔。她有权任命或解除他的某些职务，并可以有效地限制他在州政府中发挥积极作用。但副州长可以被州议会弹劾并免职。

作为副州长，如果谢里尔去世、被免职或丧失行为能力，卡德威尔将是州长的第一顺位继任者。副州长一职虽然并非完全是礼仪性的，但其权力很大程度上隶属于州长。