New Jersey's Democratic Lt Gov resigns over sexual harassment allegations, weeks before midterm elections

The lieutenant governor of New Jersey, Dale Caldwell, submitted his resignation on Friday, just hours after the state's governor, Mikie Sherrill, issued an ultimatum for him to step down. The decision came after the release of a report commissioned by Sherrill detailing Caldwell's inappropriate behavior toward several women, amid an election campaign in which Republicans had already been pressuring the governor over the scandal.

As reported by The Associated Press, the law firm hired by Sherrill concluded that Caldwell, 66, committed several violations of state ethics rules. The report details that he made a suggestive remark to the friend of a female employee and, after being rejected, said directly to the employee herself: "You young women are looking for young sperm." He is also accused of attempting to secure a promotion for a woman with whom he was romantically involved, and of bringing personal guests to paid events without covering the corresponding cost, in violation of state ethics rules.

Caldwell denied making the comment about sperm through his attorney, Thomas Calcagni, though he did acknowledge recommending the woman for the promotion. In a statement, Caldwell said he decided to resign so as not to hinder the governor's work, though she emphasized that "my decision to resign should not be interpreted as an acceptance of the report's findings."

Sherrill, for her part, used the press conference where she announced the departure of her second-in-command to take aim at what she described as a widespread practice in state politics. "There has been a culture in Trenton, probably since the birth of our nation, to sweep this under the rug," she said, adding that her administration represents a break from that tradition.

Caldwell's departure was not a foregone conclusion. In New Jersey, a governor does not have the authority to directly remove the lieutenant governor, a position that can only be lost through an impeachment process initiated by the state legislature. Furthermore, Caldwell had shown no intention of stepping down voluntarily in the early days of the crisis.

The timing is no coincidence. Caldwell served as acting governor whenever Sherrill was out of the state, and he also directly oversaw the elections in his role as secretary of state — a sensitive issue just weeks before the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Republican State Senator Kristin Corrado publicly questioned Sherrill's judgment for keeping Caldwell in that role even though his conduct was already under investigation.

Analysts consulted by the AP agree that the episode will not significantly alter the election outcome in the state, though it does provide political ammunition for the Republicans.

Caldwell thus becomes the first lieutenant governor to resign since the position was created in 2009, though he is far from being the first official in New Jersey to be rocked by a scandal: Before him, former Senator Bob Menéndez, convicted of bribery, and former Governor Jim McGreevey, who resigned in 2004 after coming out as gay amid questions about his appointment of his former partner as a state adviser, both fell from grace.