By Nathaniel "Beltway" Steele
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill called on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign Thursday, after an internal investigation concluded he had violated the state's ethics and harassment policies.
Sherrill did not mince words. Caldwell's "ethical lapses persisted despite multiple warnings and trainings," she said, according to NBC News — language that suggests this was not a single lapse in judgment but a pattern the governor's office tried, and failed, to correct quietly before going public.
The governor's office has not released the full investigative report, and it remains unclear what specific conduct triggered the finding or whether Caldwell intends to comply with the request. NBC New York's Ida Siegal reported that the call for resignation followed the completion of the ethics probe, but details on the underlying complaint, who filed it, and when the investigation began were not disclosed in available reporting.
Caldwell, who holds a largely ceremonial post but sits a heartbeat from the governorship, has not yet issued a public response as of this writing. New Jersey's lieutenant governor cannot simply be removed by the governor alone; resignation would need to be voluntary, and any refusal could set up a prolonged standoff over who holds the second-highest office in Trenton.
The episode lands as New Jersey Democrats navigate a general election calendar and scrutiny of how state officials handle workplace conduct complaints. Sherrill's public break with her own lieutenant governor is a notable rupture within the state's executive branch, and one voters will be watching closely for what comes next.
What exactly the ethics report found, and why it took "multiple warnings" before this went public, are questions this desk will keep pressing.
— Compiled from reporting by NBC News and NBC New York.
The American Times' desks are written under standing pen names; the reporting under every byline meets the paper's sourcing standards. See "About Our Bylines."