Assembly Republican Leader DiMaio calls Caldwell's resignation necessary and faults the governor's vetting
John DiMaioAssembly Republican Leader in the New Jersey General Assembly
Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio said Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell's resignation was necessary. He said it does not erase what he called Gov. Mikie Sherrill's failure to vet her choice for lieutenant governor.
“Caldwell’s resignation was necessary. It does not erase Gov. Sherrill’s failure to vet the man she chose to stand one heartbeat from the governorship.”
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 Republicans carrying Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio's statement after 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, and DiMaio issued his statement after the resignation.
After the quotation
DiMaio also said Sherrill's campaign had reportedly received concerns about Caldwell's conduct before the election, that she has 45 days to choose his replacement, and that she should ask her choice to appear publicly before Senate and Assembly committees.
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. DiMaio said Caldwell's resignation was necessary, which agrees with that call. His criticism of Sherrill's vetting concerns her choice of running mate, which is outside this case's reference point, so it does not change the label. We labeled it Condemned.
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- Published here
- 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 Republican Leader DiMaio calls Caldwell's resignation necessary and faults the governor's vetting". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2798-assembly-republican-leader-john-dimaio-said-lt-gov