New Jersey governor calls on lieutenant governor to resign after ethics probe finding violations

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill on Thursday called on the state's lieutenant governor, Dale Caldwell, to resign by Friday after a law firm hired by her office concluded that he had violated the state's ethics and discrimination rules.

A report published Wednesday found that Caldwell violated New Jersey's policy prohibiting workplace discrimination. According to the findings, he made an advance toward a friend of a staffer, among other conduct described in the investigation as involving staffers and gifts. Sherrill said Caldwell "engaged in serious, repeated violations."

The governor's public call for Caldwell's resignation marks a significant escalation in the matter, placing pressure on the lieutenant governor to step down voluntarily rather than face further proceedings. The investigation was commissioned by Sherrill's office and conducted by an outside law firm.

As of Thursday, it was not reported whether Caldwell had responded publicly to the governor's call for his resignation or to the findings of the ethics report. Further details of the report's specific findings beyond the discrimination violation and the advance toward a staffer's friend were not included in the available source material.

The matter is likely to remain a significant point of attention in New Jersey state government in the days ahead, given the governor's public deadline for Caldwell's resignation.