Sherrill calls for Lt. Gov. Caldwell to resign after ethics investigation
New Jersey Gov. Sherrill urges Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign after investigation
Gov. Mikie Sherrill calls for Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell's resignation over a report detailing sexual harassment and ethics violations, which Caldwell denies.
TRENTON, N.J. - Gov. Mikie Sherrill is calling for her lieutenant governor, Dale Caldwell, to resign, after the results of an internal ethics investigation found that Caldwell had "engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy."
New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (C) celebrates with lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Dale Caldwell (R) after their win during an election night on November 4, 2025.(Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
What we know:
State officials released the findings of their investigation into Caldwell on Thursday.
They found that Caldwell made at least one sexual comment at a staff member and twice tried to secure a promotion within the government for a woman with whom he had a relationship.
Dale is also accused of abusing his position to bring uninvited guests into ticketed events on at least seven occasions.
Gov. Sherrill calls for resignation of her Lt. Gov. amidst allegations
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill made a post on X calling for the resignation of Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell, along with a report that is over 60 pages.
Dig deeper:
Staffers told investigators that Dale was "looking for a ‘first lady,’" according to the report, even assigned one of his staffers to find him a partner.
That same staffer accused Dale of making sexually inappropriate comments to her.
Dean "allegedly asked whether Staffer-1 ‘s friend was still single," the report said, and that when she told him she wasn’t interested, he "remarked… that Staffer-1, her friend, and women like them were ambitious and successful and needed a man who was in a position to help them, ‘but you young women are looking for young sperm.’"
According to the state's report, several of Dale's violations came shortly after he was reprimanded for violating other ethics rules, and even after he was told he was being investigated.
"Using his state email account, on May 26, 2026 — less than one month after being admonished and trained with regard to workplace conduct and ethics matters, and four days after the Chief Ethics Officer formally notified him of this investigation — [Dale] reached out to an official in another executive branch department and suggested the state employee receive a promotion," the report detailed. "…The LG admitted to investigators that he did not disclose the romantic nature of his relationship wit the state employee while making these promotion requests."
What they're saying:
In a post on social media Thursday, Sherrill said that she was calling for Dale to step down and is "giving him until tomorrow to do so."
These violations substantiated in the investigation reflect a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this Administration. 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.
The Lieutenant Governor’s resignation is necessary and in the best interest of New Jersey residents," she continued.
"We all have a duty to follow our state ethics and harassment policy and our Code of Conduct. Anyone who violates these will be held accountable," said the New Jersey governor.
Democratic Assemblywoman Katie Brennan released a statement saying, "Anyone who uses the power of public office to mistreat the people around them has no business holding it."
Republican state Rep. Paul Kanitra also commented on the findings, according to the source material.
The other side:
According to the state's report, Caldwell denied the claims and any wrongdoing when he was first made aware of the investigation, calling the claims "false and misleading."
Caldwell has not commented publically since Sherrill's calls for him to resign.
Caldwell strongly denies all the findings and has pushed back through his attorney, Thomas Calcagni, who said, "We firmly disagree with the three findings. Dr. Caldwell believes that a fair review of the complete record will show that the conclusions reached in the report go far beyond what the evidence establishes."
Calcagni also argued Caldwell was not given a "meaningful opportunity" to address anonymous allegations and said certain witnesses were excluded from the process.
What's next:
Sherrill has given Caldwell until tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 25, to step down.
FOX 29 contacted Caldwell for comment, but he referred to his attorneys’ statements and did not agree to an on-camera interview.
What we don't know:
It is not clear from Caldwell’s public statements whether he plans to resign by the deadline set by Gov. Sherrill.
The Source: This article contains information from the New Jersey governor's office, statements from attorneys representing Dale Caldwell, comments from state officials and original reporting by FOX 29.