New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill called for the resignation of her second in command, Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, after ethics investigators concluded his behavior constituted sexual harassment and violated ethics standards.
A 61-page report by investigators for an outside law firm includes evidence that Caldwell sought a promotion for his girlfriend, brought guests to ticketed events without payment and told a female staff member that young women want “young sperm.”
Sherrill announced the findings Thursday on X and gave Caldwell “until tomorrow” to resign. The two were elected on the same ticket and took office in January.
“The Lieutenant Governor’s resignation is necessary and in the best interest of New Jersey residents,” she said. “The investigation found that the Lieutenant Governor engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office.”
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The report followed an anonymous complaint received by the governor’s chief ethics officer in May. Investigators with the law firm Lowenstein Sandler found Caldwell, 66, made the sexual remark after a staffer told him a friend was not interested in a relationship with the lieutenant governor.
Caldwell then remarked that the staffer and her friend “needed a man who was in a position to help them,” the report states, before going on to make additional crude statements.
The unnamed staffer told investigators the incident was “textbook sexual harassment” and caused her take measures to distance herself from Caldwell at work and to avoid traveling with him.
Caldwell denied making the comment, the report said, but investigators found his account lacked credibility given numerous similar incidents and contemporaneous documentation provided by the staffer.
Sherrill said the ethics violations persisted despite “multiple warnings and trainings.”
“The substantiated finding of sexual harassment is extremely troubling,” she said. “I’ve seen firsthand how a hostile culture can undermine everyone’s ability to succeed. It’s insidious and ruptures the trust within an organization.”
The report also found that Caldwell used his government email to seek a promotion for his girlfriend, who is a state employee, four days after receiving notice of the ethics investigation. He did not disclose their relationship in the communications, and the woman did not receive a promotion, raise or other benefits.
Investigators also found Caldwell routinely brought guests to ticketed events without payment, despite receiving guidance from ethics officials.
Caldwell did not immediately respond to The Washington Sun’s request for comment.
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