Gov. Sherrill Calls on Lt. Gov. Caldwell to Resign Following Ethics Investigation

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill called on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, who also serves as secretary of state, to resign after an internal investigation concluded he engaged in serious and repeated ethics policy violations. Findings were released Wednesday, and Sherrill gave Caldwell until Friday to step down voluntarily. Sherrill said the violations, which included accusations of inappropriate behavior with women, persisted despite multiple prior warnings and trainings. Under New Jersey law, Caldwell cannot be unilaterally removed by the governor; he can only leave office through resignation or impeachment requiring a two-thirds supermajority vote in the state Senate. Caldwell's attorneys have disputed the investigation's findings. Separately, it has been reported that Caldwell served as acting governor on August 19 while Sherrill was campaigning out of state for Democratic primary candidates in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, a period during which he was already under investigation. As of the latest reporting, Caldwell had not resigned, and it remains unresolved whether he will step down or whether the Legislature will pursue impeachment proceedings. It is also unclear how Sherrill's reported caution around delegating acting-governor duties or approving new out-of-state travel will be affected going forward given the unresolved investigation. The specific substantiated details of the alleged inappropriate behavior have not been independently detailed across all reports.