NJGOP chair Hanlon says Caldwell must resign immediately
Christine Giordano HanlonChair of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, in a party press release
After the New Jersey Globe reported the investigation and before the specific allegations or any findings were public, NJGOP Chairwoman Christine Giordano Hanlon called on Caldwell to resign immediately as Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, saying he "must resign" and that the Secretary of State's office "cannot function under these circumstances."
Responding to
Lt. Gov. Caldwell's resignation is "necessary and in the best interest of New Jersey residents" because the investigation substantiated serious, repeated violations of state policy.
“Caldwell is not only the Lieutenant Governor but is also our Secretary of State — the official charged with overseeing New Jersey’s elections. That office cannot function under these circumstances. For the good of the state, and out of respect for the women whose complaints prompted this investigation, Dale Caldwell must resign as Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State immediately.”
Official statement
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
Official statement
About this source
The New Jersey Republican State Committee's press release, issued after the New Jersey Globe reported the investigation and before any allegations or findings were published. It cites reporting that the inquiry began in late spring.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The New Jersey Globe had reported on September 4 that Caldwell was the subject of an internal investigation over alleged inappropriate behavior with women and possible ethics violations. The specific allegations were not yet public.
After the quotation
The release also faults the Sherrill administration for not disclosing the investigation sooner and says Caldwell should have been placed on leave while it was under way.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to whether Caldwell should resign over the conduct the investigation examined, Hanlon expressly says he must resign immediately. The statement predates the report and rests on the reported existence of an investigation, but it is an express call for his departure, so condemns fits better than a conditional label.
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- Dale Caldwell
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The Inquirer board says the reported conduct warranted Caldwell's departure
The Philadelphia Inquirer
“But Caldwell’s alleged behavior would and should constitute a firing offense in any number of more obscure private-sector jobs.”Read statement
Caldwell calls the investigation's report "specious" and says he is not resigning because of it
“The report, I think, was just specious. There are all sorts of wrong things and mistakes. I'm not resigning because of that ridiculous report. I'm resigning because I don't want to be a distraction to the Mikie Sherrill administration.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "NJGOP chair Hanlon says Caldwell must resign immediately". First published: 2026-09-25. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/2401-after-the-new-jersey-globe-reported-the-investigation