Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell (D-NJ) handed in his resignation letter on Friday, after Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) called for him to step down following an investigation into his alleged inappropriate sexual misconduct.
Caldwell, Sherrill’s running mate in the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial election, resigned after an ethics report alleging he “engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office” was made public.
Caldwell has denied the allegations against him, but an investigation by Lowenstein Sandler, the law firm of former state Attorney General Christopher Porrino, found his denial had little merit.
The investigation’s findings included that Caldwell “made a romantic advance” toward a staffer’s female friend. When he was rejected, he allegedly told the young female staffer, “You young women are looking for young sperm.” The independent investigators wrote in the report that they found Caldwell’s behavior “constituted sexual harassment, and was derogatory or demeaning in reference to the staffer’s sex.”
Additionally, the investigation claimed Caldwell sought a promotion for an employee with whom he had a romantic relationship, but did not disclose the nature of their relationship when seeking the promotion.
The report into the allegations against Caldwell was made public on Thursday and was quickly met with Sherrill’s calls for him to step down.
“These violations substantiated in the investigation reflect a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this Administration,” Sherrill said. “The ethical lapses persisted despite multiple warnings and trainings. The substantiated finding of sexual harassment is extremely troubling. 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.”
However, Caldwell’s attorneys disputed the legitimacy of the investigation, calling it an “unnecessarily protracted and one-sided process that lacked the requisite due process that should be afforded every citizen of this state.”
Thomas Calcagni of Calcagni & Kanefsky, who is representing Caldwell, said his client was not allowed to address all the allegations brought against him, nor was he offered the opportunity to call witnesses with firsthand knowledge of the circumstances, according to Insider NJ.
“It appears, in fact, that even those who voluntarily came forward with first-hand accounts were entirely excluded from the process,” Calcagni said. “These due process concerns, coupled with breaches of confidentiality throughout the process, render any findings palpably deficient and create a dangerous and challenging precedent for anyone who wishes to defend against anonymous conjecture and character assassination.”
Sherrill picked Caldwell as her running mate in July 2025 and named him as her administration’s secretary of state in December 2025 after the pair won their November election by a double-digit margin.
NEW JERSEY LT. GOV. DALE CALDWELL FACES INVESTIGATION OVER ALLEGED MISCONDUCT
With Caldwell handing in his resignation, Sherrill must fill his post in 45 days, but a special election is not required, nor is New Jersey Senate confirmation of her appointee. Because Caldwell also served as secretary of state, which oversees elections, Sherrill will also need to fill that office prior to the November elections.
Caldwell served in two positions, but Sherrill could appoint two separate individuals to replace him in each role.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
