New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigns after ethics probe
Dale Caldwell resigned Friday as lieutenant governor of New Jersey after an investigation found "serious, repeated violations of state policy, including ethical lapses and a substantiated finding of sexual harassment," Gov. Mikie Sherrill said.
His resignation came after the governor released on Thursday the findings of an investigation into Caldwell over multiple ethics violation complaints.
The probe found there was credible evidence that Caldwell made "a romantic advance toward a female staffer's friend," and after his advance was rebuffed, he made sexually inappropriate comments to the staffer about their friend, according to the investigation's findings.
The investigation "lays out a pattern and practice of long term concerning behavior multiple ethics trainings, multiple ethics violations, sexual harassment, substantial claims of sexual harassment and statements by the lieutenant governor in the report so obviously he was fully involved in this as well," Sherrill said at a news conference Friday.
In a statement to ABC New York station WABC, Caldwell's attorney said they will "continue to forcefully challenge the report."
"Dr. Caldwell's resignation, submitted to put an end to the targeted campaign to discredit his character, does not in any way diminish our outrage concerning the investigative process and its specious findings," said Thomas R. Calcagni, counsel to Caldwell. "Counsel is fully exploring all legal remedies to ensure a true, balanced, and unbiased record."
The probe began with an anonymous complaint accusing the lieutenant governor of "hitting on women at functions while traveling using taxpayer money," and "handing out his state business cards and asking women out on dates," according to investigators.
Caldwell's team "repeatedly cautioned him about his behavior," investigators said, but they found he also tried "on multiple occasions to secure a promotion for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship."
"I hold everyone in my Administration to the highest ethical standard. 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," Sherrill said in a statement Thursday where she gave Caldwell a day to resign.
Several other prominent New Jersey elected officials, including Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., also called on Caldwell to resign after the report was released.
"New Jerseyans deserve to have public servants who work to earn and keep their trust, not undermine it. The findings of the independent report are unacceptable," Kim said in a social media post Friday.
In New Jersey, the lieutenant governor serves as the secretary of state as well and oversees the state agency that includes oversight of elections. New Jersey's counties and municipalities handle much of the administration of elections.
Sherrill said Friday she is appointing an interim secretary of state to oversee the midterm elections.
-ABC News' Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
