Dale Caldwell
Role at the time: Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, in a written response to the Chief Ethics Officer
Response to this claim
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.”
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.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used 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.