Caldwell's May 28 letter denies the complaint's accusations
Dale CaldwellLieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, in a written response to the Chief Ethics Officer
In a May 28, 2026 letter to the Chief Ethics Officer, later published as an exhibit to the report, Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell said the complaint's accusations were "inaccurate, misleading, and completely false," said he had "never asked anyone out on a date," and, referring to guests at events named in the complaint, said the suggestion that their professional and family relationships constitute unethical behavior is "completely inaccurate and without merit." The letter predates the investigation's findings.
Responding to
The accusations in the anonymous complaint, including that he pursued women romantically while conducting official business and that his guests at events raised ethical concerns, are "inaccurate, misleading, and completely false."
“The accusations contained in this complaint are inaccurate, misleading, and completely false. For that reason, I fully welcome a fair, objective, and professional review of these allegations by the attorneys and investigators assigned to this matter because I am confident that the facts will fully clear my name. First, I have never asked anyone out on a date, “hit on,” or pursued anyone romantically while conducting official business as Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State. … The suggestion that these professional and family relationships somehow constitute unethical behavior is completely inaccurate and without merit.”
Original text
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Where this statement fits
Should Dale Caldwell resign as New Jersey's lieutenant governor after the investigation's findings?
On September 24, 2026, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill released a 61-page report, with exhibits, by the law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP and called on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign by the next day. The firm, engaged by the Governor's Chief Ethics Officer after an anonymous complaint dated May 6, found that Caldwell made a comment to a female staffer that constituted sexual harassment under the state workplace policy, and that he violated state ethics rules by bringing personal guests to ticketed events without payment and by seeking a promotion for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship. Caldwell, through his lawyer Thomas Calcagni, disputes all three findings, denies making the comment, and says the process was one-sided and lacked due process; in a May 28 letter he called the complaint's accusations false. Republican leaders called for him to resign or step down before the report was released. The Associated Press reports that the Governor cannot fire a lieutenant governor and that the Legislature can impeach and remove one. The statement issued for Caldwell on September 24 did not say whether he would resign. On September 25, Sherrill announced that Caldwell had resigned, The Philadelphia Inquirer and ABC News report. In a statement on his resignation, Caldwell said it should not be read as an admission of wrongdoing and that he strongly disputes the report; his lawyer said counsel would continue to challenge it.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
The Lieutenant Governor's signed three-page written response to the anonymous complaint, dated May 28, 2026, before the investigation's findings. It answers the complaint's allegations about guests at events and about pursuing women, and it was published in full (with names redacted) as an exhibit to the report.
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About this source
The Philadelphia Inquirer's profile quoting the Lieutenant Governor's May 28 letter and interviews with several named supporters. It reports that a friend said Caldwell has told him he will not resign; Caldwell's own public position on resigning had not been stated at the time. He resigned on September 25, 2026.
Before the quotation
The Chief Ethics Officer had notified Caldwell on May 22 that a complaint alleging workplace misconduct and ethics violations was under investigation, and had told him that the existence of an investigation does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing.
After the quotation
Caldwell also wrote that he would cooperate fully with any review process, that the complaint appeared to be driven by misinformation, false assumptions and what seemed to be a personal vendetta, and that as the first single Black man to serve at this level in government he suspected there would be other false accusations.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the allegations the investigation later addressed, Caldwell explicitly says the accusations are false, that he did not pursue anyone romantically on official business, and that the guests' attendance was not unethical. That is an explicit denial of the alleged conduct. The letter predates the report and does not respond to its specific findings.
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The Dispute Index. "Caldwell's May 28 letter denies the complaint's accusations". First published: 2026-09-25. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/2400-in-a-may-28-2026-letter-to-the