What is Mikie Sherrill not telling NJ about her lieutenant governor?
🔎 Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell is reportedly under investigation over allegations involving women and possible ethics violations.
🏛️ Caldwell has remained on the job and served as acting governor while the reported investigation was underway.
❓ Gov. Mikie Sherrill still won't confirm the investigation or say whether Caldwell's duties have been restricted.
There are two stories unfolding in Trenton involving Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell.
The first is about Caldwell and allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women and possible ethics violations.
The second is increasingly about Gov. Mikie Sherrill and the questions she still isn't answering about the investigation into the man who is one heartbeat — or one trip across state lines — away from assuming the powers of governor.
Let's separate what we know from what we don't.
What we know about the Dale Caldwell investigation
The New Jersey Globe first reported Sept. 4 that Caldwell was the subject of an investigation commissioned by the Sherrill administration. Former New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino and attorney Shontae Gray, a former federal prosecutor, were brought in to conduct the inquiry.
The Globe reported allegations include inappropriate behavior toward women and potential ethics violations, including purported offers of state employment.
Caldwell, who also serves as secretary of state, has cooperated with the investigation.
New Jersey Globe is also reporting that Caldwell has retained former Attorney General Peter Harvey to defend against the allegations.
Harvey is a high profile litigater. In addition to his time as Attorney General, Harvey is a former federal prosecutor and court-appointed federal monitor who oversaw the Newark Police Department for nine years. As a private practice attorney, Harvey has had many high profile clients including the NFL.
The fact that Harvey is advising Caldwell also signals this may be a bigger scandal than Gov. Sherrill has revealed.
The Globe says it has obtained a series of text messages from Caldwell to a friend. In one of the exchanges, Caldwell accused Sherrill and her office of hiring a law firm to discredit him.
Caldwell has also denied wrongdoing.
In a May letter to New Jersey's chief ethics officer obtained by BINJE and subsequently reported by the New Jersey Globe, Caldwell denied using his position to pursue women romantically.
“I have never asked anyone out on a date, ‘hit on,’ or pursued anyone romantically while conducting official business as Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State,” Caldwell wrote.
These remain allegations. No public finding has established that Caldwell committed misconduct.
What Mikie Sherrill has said
Sherrill says allegations of misconduct are taken seriously.
“I'm not going to confirm or deny whether there's an ongoing investigation,” Sherrill told reporters in Woodbridge last week.
She said anyone who files a complaint deserves to have it taken seriously and anyone accused of misconduct is entitled to have their rights protected and receive a fair review.
Those are important principles.
They don't answer many of the questions surrounding Caldwell.
Sherrill would not tell reporters when she learned of the allegations or whether Caldwell's responsibilities had been curtailed. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports even some Democratic lawmakers have grown frustrated with the lack of information coming from the administration.
The questions Sherrill hasn't answered
❓ We still don't know exactly when Sherrill learned of the allegations.
❓ We don't know the complete scope of the investigation, how many complaints are being examined or whether investigators are looking into allegations involving offers of state employment.
❓ We don't know whether Caldwell's duties have been restricted.
That last question is particularly significant.
Caldwell served as acting governor on more than half a dozen days in July and August when Sherrill traveled outside New Jersey, according to the Inquirer.
When the governor leaves the state, the lieutenant governor doesn't merely attend ribbon cuttings and ceremonial events. He assumes the powers and responsibilities of the governor.
Yet Sherrill has not explained whether any “guardrails” have been placed around Caldwell's authority or whether he will continue serving as acting governor when she leaves New Jersey.
Will New Jersey ever see the findings?
That may ultimately become the biggest question.
Sherrill has promised complaints will receive a fair and thorough review. She has said she will take appropriate action if warranted.
What she has not publicly promised is that New Jersey residents will get to see the results.
Caldwell could ultimately be cleared. Investigators could find wrongdoing. They could reach conclusions somewhere in between.
Whatever happens, the public deserves to know how this ends.
Because this is no longer simply about accusations against one public official.
It's also about how the governor of New Jersey handles allegations against the second-highest-ranking official in her administration — and how much she believes the people she represents deserve to know.
Top winners & losers in Gov. Sherrill's first school aid proposal
12 ways New Jersey is making it harder for ICE to operate
Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt
More From New Jersey 101.5 FM
