Assembly Speaker Coughlin backs Caldwell's resignation after the investigation
Craig CoughlinSpeaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said that, following an independent investigation, Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell was right to resign. He said he supports Gov. Mikie Sherrill's commitment to hold public officials to the highest standards and her work to resolve the matter quickly.
“Following an independent investigation, Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell was right to resign from office today. We must ensure the work of governing is uninterrupted and that serving the people of New Jersey remains a top priority. I support Governor Sherrill’s commitment to hold public officials to the highest standards and her work to bring this matter to a swift resolution, enabling us to move forward in the best interests of the state.”
Official statement
Official statement
Reporting
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
Press release from the New Jersey Legislative Assembly Democrats carrying Speaker Coughlin's statement on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell's resignation.
Official statement
About this source
The Governor's official press release announcing the conclusion of the independent investigation, linking the report, and calling for the Lieutenant Governor's resignation by the next day.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
New Jersey Globe report on the four legislative leaders' reactions to Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell's resignation. It quotes Coughlin, Scutari, Bucco and DiMaio.
Before the quotation
Gov. Mikie Sherrill released an investigation report on September 24 that substantiated allegations of sexual harassment and ethics violations against Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell and gave him until September 25 to resign. Caldwell resigned on September 25.
After the quotation
The New Jersey Globe reported that Senate President Nicholas Scutari also called the resignation the right thing to do, while Republican leaders Anthony Bucco and John DiMaio said it was only a first step and asked for more disclosure about what the governor and her campaign knew.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell should resign after the investigation's findings and Gov. Sherrill's call for him to leave office. Coughlin did not describe the findings himself, but he said Caldwell was right to resign following the independent investigation and said he supports the Governor's work on the matter. That agrees with the call for Caldwell to leave office, so we labeled it Condemned.
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- People and groups discussed
- Dale Caldwell, Mikie Sherrill
More from this case
Read the full caseSpadea questions Caldwell's denial after his resignation
“That's odd and makes me question whether the conclusions of the investigation were more accurate than the former lieutenant governor is saying.”Read statement
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. "Assembly Speaker Coughlin backs Caldwell's resignation after the investigation". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2797-assembly-speaker-craig-coughlin-said-that-following-an