TRENTON, N.J. – The investigation into Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell was underway for months before New Jerseyans knew anything about it — and one top Republican says the controversy has now expanded well beyond Caldwell himself.
The New Jersey Globe reported Wednesday that Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration retained former Attorney General Christopher Porrino and Lowenstein Sandler on May 21 to conduct an internal investigation involving Caldwell. The agreement came more than three months before the Globe first broke news of the probe on September 4th.
The investigation concerns allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women and potential ethics violations, including purported offers of state employment. Caldwell has denied wrongdoing and cooperated with investigators. No finding of misconduct has been announced, and the investigation remains pending.
State Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) blasted the administration’s handling of the matter Wednesday night.
“This is outrageous on so many levels,” O’Scanlon wrote on X, citing the administration’s failure to disclose “issues…that WARRANTED A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION” and the length of time the inquiry has continued with little public acknowledgment.
O’Scanlon also pointed to another increasingly awkward aspect of the timeline: Sherrill repeatedly traveled outside New Jersey while the investigation was underway, leaving Caldwell to exercise the powers of acting governor. Since the investigation became public, however, Sherrill has reportedly stopped accepting out-of-state invitations to avoid putting Caldwell in that role.
The Monmouth County Republican argued the handling was unfair to Caldwell, too.
“Even if he’s guilty it’s outrageous that this dragged on so long,” O’Scanlon said. “If he’s innocent…as he contends and as we should assume according to our appropriately generous system…it’s horrific.”
O’Scanlon concluded that the “accumulating missteps & bad judgement” had transformed what began as “a one-man problem” into a “Sherrill administration-wide scandal.”
“It’s beyond time for Democrat legislative leadership to find their elusive spines and begin an investigation,” he added. “BEYOND TIME.”
Sherrill has thus far declined to publicly discuss the specifics of the Caldwell investigation.
