Dale Caldwell, New Jersey’s Lt. Governor, Violated Workplace Policies, Report Finds

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTGov. Mikie Sherrill Calls for the Resignation of Her Lt. GovernorInvestigators found that New Jersey’s lieutenant governor, Dale Caldwell, sought a promotion for his girlfriend and made a sexually charged comment to a staff member.Lt. Governor Dale Caldwell was found to have violated state workplace and ethics policies in a report released Thursday.Credit...Kriston Jae Bethel for The New York TimesSept. 24, 2026Updated 8:18 p.m. ETNew Jersey’s lieutenant governor, Dale G. Caldwell, twice sought to have his girlfriend promoted to a state job, made a sexually charged comment to a staff member and ignored warnings to adjust his behavior, according to a report Gov. Mikie Sherrill released Thursday evening.Investigators concluded that his behavior constituted sexual harassment and violated state ethics rules.Ms. Sherrill called on Dr. Caldwell to resign, saying it was “necessary and in the best interest of New Jersey residents.”“The investigation found that the lieutenant governor engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office,” Ms. Sherrill said in a statement, adding that she was giving him until Friday to step down.The 61-page report was the culmination of an inquiry Ms. Sherrill initiated in May after receiving an anonymous letter that claimed Dr. Caldwell, 66, had behaved inappropriately toward women. Dr. Caldwell, who is Black, has denied the allegations and suggested that race and gender were at play.Neither Dr. Caldwell, a former president of Centenary University, nor his lawyer could be immediately reached for comment about the report’s findings, which the governor released about three weeks after the investigation was first revealed by The New Jersey Globe.Ms. Sherrill had hired Christopher Porrino, a former New Jersey attorney general who served under former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, to lead the inquiry. Mr. Porrino’s report, submitted on Wednesday to the governor, said that Dr. Caldwell’s behavior “constituted sexual harassment and was derogatory or demeaning.”In one instance, in April 2026, Dr. Caldwell made a romantic advance toward a female staff member’s friend, investigators found. After being rebuffed, the lieutenant governor told the staff member that ambitious women needed a man who was in a position to help them. “But you young women are looking for young sperm,” he said, according to the report.Dr. Caldwell, the report notes, denied making this comment, “but we did not find his denial credible.”There were no claims that Dr. Caldwell had any inappropriate physical contact with a subordinate.The report also notes that Dr. Caldwell brought nonpaying guests to seven events, in violation of ethics rules, and that he recommended his girlfriend for a promotion to a “senior leadership position” even after being notified that his conduct was under investigation. He did not disclose his relationship with the woman, who did not get the promotion and no longer works in state government, the report found. The position of lieutenant governor was created by referendum in 2005, and Dr. Caldwell is only the fourth person to serve in the role. He stands in as governor when Ms. Sherrill is away and also oversees the Department of State, putting him in charge of elections, including November’s midterms.Those responsibilities made the timing of the inquiry particularly problematic for Ms. Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot who has said that she hoped to use her decisive victory last year to influence national Democratic politics. A federal political action committee she set up had endorsed a slate of like-minded veterans. But Ms. Sherrill, a former congresswoman, has not gone outside the New York metropolitan region for weeks, even as other Democrats crisscrossed the country in the run-up to the midterm elections.Ms. Sherrill had not publicly acknowledged the investigation into Dr. Caldwell until Thursday.The inquiry began just four months after she and Dr. Caldwell were sworn in. An anonymous complaint, signed by “a Concerned NJ Resident,” claimed that Dr. Caldwell, who is divorced, had brought “uninvited female guests” to events and handed out business cards to women he hoped to date.“Enough is enough. He should not be trying to get dates while he is traveling on the taxpayer’s dime,” the person wrote, adding, “Please put a stop to this shameless and corrupt behavior.”Soon after, Ms. Sherrill hired Mr. Porrino’s firm to investigate the claims.Dr. Caldwell, in a written response to the allegations, said that the complaint was “driven by misinformation, false assumptions and what seems to be a personal vendetta against me.” One of the guests, he noted, was his college-aged daughter.“Unfortunately, in this current political environment, false accusations, especially against people of color, seem to be commonplace,” he wrote.Mr. Porrino’s inquiry appeared to expand beyond the claims in the anonymous letter.At least 17 people were interviewed as part of the investigation, which was conducted jointly by Mr. Porrino and Shontae D. Gray, a former state and federal prosecutor. The report notes that Dr. Caldwell had undergone six trainings on workplace policy and ethics rules.Ms. Sherrill called the violations “a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this administration.”“The ethical lapses persisted,” she said, “despite multiple warnings and trainings.”The investigation, and questions about how it had been handled, had engulfed state politics for weeks.Republicans immediately called for Dr. Caldwell’s resignation. Some of Ms. Sherrill’s allies privately questioned why an inquiry that began months ago was not disclosed, even after an outside law firm had been hired to investigate the claims. And the state’s N.A.A.C.P. conference had urged caution.“Allegations are not findings,” Richard T. Smith, the conference president, said in a statement earlier in September, adding, “We will watch this process closely, and we expect that the facts, evidence and appropriate standards of public accountability will ultimately guide whatever action is warranted.”Dr. Caldwell had served on the board of education in New Brunswick, N.J., where he lives, but was relatively new to politics when Ms. Sherrill tapped him last year as her running mate.He had founded a charter school in Asbury Park, N.J., and spent two decades as president of the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey, which operates schools for children with autism and at-risk behaviors.Dr. Caldwell’s role as the state’s chief elections officer has added complexity that stretches beyond November’s elections.In July, Ms. Sherrill disclosed that an error that took place during the administration of her predecessor, Philip D. Murphy, had resulted in roughly 6,600 noncitizens being inadvertently registered to vote when seeking a driver’s license. Hundreds of them went on to cast ballots, Ms. Sherrill has said.Republicans in Washington have sought records from the Department of State and repeatedly cited the breach as evidence of President Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud.Ms. Sherrill linked her decision to call for Dr. Caldwell’s resignation to Mr. Trump. “The president continues to undermine confidence in public service at the federal level,” she said. “In New Jersey, I will not accept a culture that sweeps misconduct under the rug.”Kitty Bennett contributed research.Tracey Tully is a reporter for The Times who covers New Jersey, where she has lived for more than 20 years.Related ContentAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT