Former Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell contests probe that ended his tenure

Former New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell is challenging the state investigation that led to his resignation last week, arguing that investigators reached false conclusions and never gave him a meaningful opportunity to respond to the allegations against him.

Caldwell, 66, resigned Sept. 25, one day after Gov. Rebecca ‘Mikie’ Sherrill issued a demand for him to step down following the release of a 61-page report by former New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Lowenstein Sandler law firm.

Porrino was Attorney General and Chief Counsel to Republican Governor Chris Christie during the “Bridgegate” scandal.

Porrino also cut the deal to settle New Jersey’s $8.9 billion environmental battle with Exxon Mobil Corp for $250 million and whitewashed sexual assault and hiring practices alleged in the administration of former Democratic Governor Phil Murphy.

The report substantiated allegations of sexual harassment and ethics violations, including findings that Caldwell made an inappropriate comment to a female staffer and improperly advocated for a state employee with whom he was in a romantic relationship.

Caldwell has denied wrongdoing from the outset. In a detailed response titled “Ten Reasons the Caldwell Findings Are Untrue,” he wrote that the report “contains no credible evidence of sexual harassment,” and “no credible evidence of intentional ethical violations.”

A life of service rooted in a movement

To understand Caldwell’s public life is to understand the world that shaped him — one his father helped change.

The Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell was one of the “foot soldiers” of the civil rights movement, a phrase he used to describe himself with characteristic modesty.

He met Martin Luther King Jr. in 1958 while studying at Boston University School of Theology.

At that time, Caldwell served as vice president of the student association, and he later introduced the civil rights leader at a Boston demonstration against school segregation.

Gil Caldwell marched with King from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, participated in the March on Washington, spent a summer in Mississippi during Freedom Summer, and joined the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968.

He became involved in advocating for gay rights, a movement he said deserved a place alongside the fight for racial equality.

Decades later, he was arrested at the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church while protesting the denomination’s opposition to marriage equality for same-sex couples.

“We can no longer engage in silo justice movements,” Caldwell wrote in 2015. “Until all of us are free, none of us are free.”

“He was gentle but strong, wise but humble,” retired Bishop Woodie White said of Gil Caldwell. “His commitment to racial justice and inclusiveness was unyielding, whether in the church or nation.”

Gil Caldwell died in 2020 at 86, leaving a legacy that extended beyond the civil rights struggles of the 1960s to LGBTQ inclusion, voting rights, and a lifetime of social justice advocacy.

Dale Caldwell’s mother, Grace Dungee Caldwell, worked in schools and libraries for about 50 years.

In 1957, the newlywed Caldwells were turned away from a Poconos honeymoon resort because they were Black. Six decades later, New Jersey fifth-graders who learned about the incident arranged an all-expenses-paid honeymoon redo for the couple.

That family history of civil rights activism and public service would become a recurring theme in Dale Caldwell’s career.

A resume built on service

Before entering statewide politics, Caldwell spent decades in education, government, nonprofit leadership and the private sector.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton University, a master’s degree in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in education administration from Seton Hall University.

He served more than 26 years on the New Brunswick Board of Education, including as president, and was named New Jersey School Board Member of the Year in 2009. He was CEO of Crossroads Theatre Company, the nationally recognized Black theater company in New Brunswick, and served as a commissioner and chairman of the New Brunswick Housing Authority.

He became the first Black president and CEO of the United States Tennis Association Eastern Section in 2006 and helped found the Black Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2023, he became the first Black president of Centenary University in Hackettstown, a position he held until taking office as lieutenant governor.

He has also served as pastor of Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield, becoming its pastor in 2021.

Sherrill, announcing Caldwell as her running mate in July 2025, called him “a true servant leader” whose “life has been about serving as a voice for the voiceless.”

The investigation and its disputed findings

The investigation that ended Caldwell’s brief tenure as lieutenant governor centered on several allegations, including a disputed remark during a ride in the vehicle assigned to Caldwell’s State Police security detail.

The report concluded that Caldwell told a female staffer, identified as Staffer-1, that “young women are looking for young sperm.”

Caldwell categorically denies making the statement. He wrote that a state trooper in the vehicle did not hear the remark and that another staffer, identified as Staffer-5, also told investigators Caldwell did not make it.

Caldwell faulted the report for failing to make clear that Staffer-5 was present.

“The most salacious accusation is that I said, ‘Young women are looking for young sperm.’ Something that I would never say,” Caldwell wrote.

Investigators credited Staffer-1’s account based on what they described as the consistency of her statements, a photograph she took during the incident, and other evidence. They concluded that Trooper-1’s recollection did not undermine her account.

Caldwell argues that the findings rely heavily on Staffer-1, who is referenced 59 times in the report and was interviewed multiple times, while Caldwell was interviewed only once — on the 48th day of what he described as a 133-day investigation.

He said investigators did not interview him again as additional evidence was developed and did not give him an opportunity to respond to their conclusions before the report became public.

“I was not given a chance to respond to the findings before the report was released and the Governor called for my resignation,” Caldwell wrote.

He also disputes the report’s finding that he made a romantic advance toward a friend of Staffer-1 at an official event, saying investigators never interviewed the woman.

“Anyone who knows me knows I have never asked anyone out dancing,” Caldwell wrote.

Regarding the ethics finding that he improperly advocated for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship, Caldwell said a director in the Department of Community Affairs asked him to forward the woman’s resume because of her “exceptional field office performance.”

Caldwell forwarded it with the note, “share her information as you see fit,” which he argues demonstrates that he neither directed nor pressured anyone to hire or promote her.

His attorney, Thomas R. Calcagni, said Caldwell “categorically denies” the allegations and that his legal team is exploring available remedies to “secure a balanced and unbiased record.”

Caldwell says resignation is not admission

Caldwell has been explicit that his resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing.

“My resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing or acceptance of the report’s findings,” said Caldwell. “I strongly dispute the report, which I believe is inaccurate and cites violations that are unsubstantiated. I will continue to defend my name, my character and the truth.”

“I’m not resigning because of that ridiculous report,” said Caldwell. “I’m resigning because I don’t want to be a distraction to the Mikie Sherrill administration.”

Despite the circumstances surrounding his departure, Caldwell spoke positively about the governor.

“She’s a wonderful person, she really is, and she really means well,” Caldwell said. “I didn’t come into politics for politics. I came in for politics to make a difference. And if I’m going to impede anybody else’s ability to be successful, then I can move on to something else.”

Sherrill’s office has stood firmly behind the investigation.

“The independent investigation, conducted by a respected former Attorney General, substantiated serious violations of state ethics rules and found that his conduct constituted sexual harassment,” said Sherrill’s spokesperson Sean Higgins.

Caldwell’s response does not acknowledge wrongdoing or accept responsibility for the conduct described in the report. Instead, he challenges both the factual findings and the process used to reach them.

He also argues that members of his staff were assigned to help him navigate state ethics requirements because he was new to state government, saying individuals identified in the report as Staffer-1 and Staffer-4 had responsibilities that included helping ensure his compliance with those rules.

In a Sunday sermon at Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield, where he serves as pastor, Caldwell invoked biblical stories of false accusations. The sermon was titled “When Lies Become Weapons.”

“Process does not guarantee truth,” Caldwell said. “An investigation does not guarantee truth. A courtroom does not guarantee truth. God asks a deeper question.”