New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell Resigns After Investigation Substantiates Sexual Harassment, Ethics Violations

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigned Friday, September 25, 2026, one day after Gov. Mikie Sherrill demanded he step down over a 61-page ethics report that found he sexually harassed a female staffer and committed two additional ethics violations.

"He submitted his resignation to me this afternoon, which I accepted," Sherrill said at a Trenton press conference, according to The Hill. Caldwell, 66, a Methodist pastor and former president of Centenary University, was elected alongside Sherrill in November 2025 and took office in January.

What the Investigation Found

The probe was launched in May after Sherrill's office received an anonymous letter accusing Caldwell of "bringing uninvited female guests to events while traveling using taxpayer funds" and "hitting on women at functions," according to The Guardian. Sherrill hired the law firm Lowenstein Sandler to investigate, an effort headed by former New Jersey Attorney General Chris Porrino, according to WHYY.

Investigators concluded Caldwell made a romantic advance toward a female staffer's friend. When she wasn't interested, Caldwell allegedly told the staffer that ambitious women like her and her friend needed a man in his position to help them, "but you young women are looking for young sperm," according to the report cited by every outlet reviewing it, including PBS, The Guardian and Fox News.

Caldwell denied making the comment. Investigators wrote they "did not find his denial credible," per the report quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The remark caused the staffer to change how she interacted with him, distance herself, and avoid traveling with him when possible, the report said.

Investigators also substantiated two ethics violations. Caldwell pushed, on multiple occasions, to get a promotion for a state employee he was dating, without disclosing the relationship until confronted. According to the Inquirer, he used his state email account on May 26, 2026, four days after being formally notified of the investigation, to ask an official in another executive branch department to promote her. Calcagni, Caldwell's attorney, said his client merely forwarded a qualified applicant's resume and that "the report cites no evidence indicating that Dr. Caldwell ordered anyone to promote her." The employee was not promoted and later left state government, per the Inquirer.

Investigators also found Caldwell brought personal guests to ticketed events, with costs ranging from $65 to $300 according to Fox News, without clearing it with the ethics office or paying for admission, and that he continued the practice even after formal warnings, including one instance on May 23, one day after being notified of the investigation.

Caldwell's Defense

Calcagni disputed the findings before and after the resignation, calling the process "one-sided" and saying his client "was not provided a meaningful opportunity to address each of these anonymous allegations or offer readily identifiable witnesses who possessed more pertinent, first-hand knowledge of the events in question," according to the Daily Wire. After Caldwell resigned, Calcagni said in a statement carried by The Guardian that the resignation "does not in any way diminish our outrage concerning the investigative process and its specious findings," and that counsel is "fully exploring all legal remedies." Caldwell has consistently denied hitting on or asking out women during official business and maintains the accusations are false.

Anonymous complaints are harder to cross-examine than named ones, and Calcagni's distinction between forwarding a resume and using official power to coerce a hire represents a real legal and ethical line. Investigators still found Caldwell's denial of the "young sperm" remark not credible, and the pattern of conduct, according to the report, continued even after formal ethics training and after Caldwell knew he was under investigation.

What Happens Now

Sherrill named Shirley Emehelu, the state's acting comptroller, to take over Caldwell's duties as secretary of state, a role he held alongside the lieutenant governorship, according to The Hill and the Epoch Times. The Guardian described Emehelu's new role as acting lieutenant governor rather than acting secretary of state, a discrepancy in how outlets have characterized the appointment.

Under New Jersey succession rules, Senate President Nicholas Scutari is next in line to assume the governor's duties whenever Sherrill is out of state or otherwise unable to serve, according to The Hill. Sherrill said she is considering naming a new lieutenant governor, per the Epoch Times.

Caldwell, as secretary of state, oversaw New Jersey elections. His resignation comes weeks before midterm elections that will help decide control of Congress. Fox News reported that Republicans had already been pressing Sherrill over a separate noncitizen-voter investigation, adding political weight to a scandal that now leaves the state's top elections post in the hands of an unelected acting official just ahead of Election Day. Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor, said she wanted "a culture change" in Trenton and called the resignation "necessary and in the best interest of New Jersey residents."