Top Democrat Resigns After Investigators Find He Made Crude Remark To Female Staffer

New Jersey Democratic Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigned Friday after an internal investigation found that he sexually harassed a female staffer and violated state ethics rules on multiple occasions, dealing an early blow to Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration.

Caldwell, who had been in office for only eight months, submitted his resignation Friday afternoon after Sherrill demanded that he step down by the end of the day. Sherrill announced the resignation at a news conference in Trenton.

“The investigation found that the Lieutenant Governor engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office,” Sherrill said Thursday when she released the investigation. She said the probe substantiated a finding of sexual harassment and the violations persisted despite multiple warnings and ethics trainings.

The investigation, conducted by the law firm Lowenstein Sandler at the direction of the governor’s Chief Ethics Officer, examined allegations that emerged from an anonymous complaint received in May. Investigators interviewed witnesses, reviewed documents, and interviewed Caldwell himself. 

Investigators found that Caldwell made a sexually charged remark to a female staffer after the staffer’s friend rejected what the report described as Caldwell’s romantic advance. “You young women are looking for young sperm,” Caldwell allegedly told the staffer, referring to the staffer and her friend.

The staffer told investigators that the comment caused her to change how she interacted with Caldwell, distance herself from him at work, and avoid traveling with him when possible. Caldwell denied making the remark, but investigators concluded that his denial was not credible and found that his conduct constituted sexual harassment.

The investigation also substantiated two violations of state ethics rules. Investigators found that Caldwell brought personal guests to several ticketed events without obtaining the required ethics clearance or paying or reimbursing the cost of their attendance. The report identified seven ticketed events between February and May where Caldwell reportedly appeared with guests who were admitted without payment. Ticket prices, where known, ranged from $65 to $300.

The report said Caldwell’s office had repeatedly discussed the rules governing guests with him, including formal ethics training in February and May. Investigators concluded that Caldwell continued bringing unpaid guests despite those warnings. 

The more serious ethics finding involved Caldwell’s romantic relationship with a state employee. Investigators found that Caldwell made multiple attempts to secure a promotion for the woman, including a verbal request and a subsequent email sent from his state account. Caldwell did not initially disclose the romantic nature of the relationship to the officials he contacted, and the report said he admitted to investigators that he and the woman had dated on and off and had recently resumed the relationship.

The state department ultimately declined to advance the woman’s candidacy, and she now works outside state government.

Caldwell has disputed the findings. Before his resignation, his attorney called the investigation “unnecessarily protracted and one-sided” and argued that Caldwell had not been given a meaningful opportunity to address the allegations. Caldwell himself previously called the allegations false and misleading and said he expected the facts to exonerate him.

“I’m not resigning because of the report,” Caldwell said, per the New York Times. “It’s false. I’m resigning because I don’t want to be a distraction to the administration.”

“I’m supportive of the Sherrill administration,” he added.

The controversy is particularly consequential for Sherrill because Caldwell was not merely lieutenant governor. He also oversaw the Department of State and served as New Jersey’s chief election officer. He also briefly served as acting governor while Sherrill was out of state.

The resignation comes as Sherrill attempts to establish normalcy in her administration after a controversial first year in office. In July, her administration disclosed that a software error in New Jersey’s motor-vehicle system had registered roughly 6,600 people who had indicated they were not U.S. citizens to vote, about 400 of whom cast ballots. The disclosure prompted a Justice Department investigation and a demand for additional voter-registration records.

The episode quickly became a political fight over how Sherrill handled the problem. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon accused the governor of criticizing President Donald Trump’s election-integrity claims while knowing that her administration was preparing to disclose the registration error. Sherrill rejected the administration’s characterization, saying the Trump administration was trying to “weaponize” the issue rather than focus on secure elections.

Sherrill has also faced sustained criticism over her immigration policies. She signed legislation codifying New Jersey’s Immigrant Trust Directive, which limits the circumstances under which state and local law enforcement can assist federal immigration authorities. Republicans have subsequently pointed to several crimes involving illegal immigrants while arguing that the policy makes cooperation with ICE more difficult. Sherrill and her administration have defended the policy, with the attorney general’s office noting that New Jersey authorities can still notify ICE in certain cases involving serious crimes and deportation orders.

Sherrill now has to replace her second-in-command less than a year after taking office. Under New Jersey law, the governor will select Caldwell’s replacement, who will not require confirmation by the state Senate.