Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill speaks out on investigation into lieutenant governor
By
Mike Hayes
Published Sep 8, 2026
Modified Sep 8, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Office of Governor / Tim Larsen
By
Mike Hayes
Published Sep 8, 2026
Modified Sep 8, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Tuesday urged anyone with additional allegations to come forward in her first statement regarding reports of an investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior with women by her lieutenant governor.
“I take my responsibility to treat any reports of inappropriate behavior or misconduct extremely seriously, and any credible report must be fully examined and addressed. If the evidence warrants, I will take appropriate action quickly,” the first-term Democratic governor said in her statement.
Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell is reportedly under investigation by the Sherrill administration for alleged inappropriate behavior, according to a report Friday from the New Jersey Globe. Multiple outlets reported that Sherrill tapped former New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Perrino to lead the investigation. A spokesperson for Lowenstein Sadler, where Perrino is a partner, said on Tuesday that the law firm is not commenting on the investigation.
Sherrill did not specifically address Caldwell in her statement and her office has yet to independently confirm that he is under investigation. She said her office would “protect the safety and privacy” of anyone who makes a complaint.
“Anyone must know that they can come forward with a complaint and they will be safe from retaliation. The subject of a complaint must also know and be confident that their rights will be protected as well and they will receive a fair and thorough review,” she said.
Caldwell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sherrill’s remarks.
Top Democratic leaders in the state have also been quiet on the reports of an investigation. A spokesperson for Senate President Nicholas Scutari declined to comment on Sherrill’s statement Tuesday. House Speaker Craig Coughlin’s office also didn’t respond to a request to comment.
But state Republicans quickly responded after Sherrill issued her statement.
Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio and Assemblymember Christopher DePhillips immediately put out a joint statement calling on the governor to immediately address why Caldwell has not been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, disclose when the investigation began, commit to publicly releasing the findings of the investigation and inform leadership within the state legislature “directly, not through press reports, of the status and scope of the investigation.”
“Those aren't partisan questions," DePhillips said. “They're the basic questions any lawmaker, Republican or Democrat, should be demanding answers to. And the governor should be the one answering them, in public, not her communications shop.”
Democratic State Assemblymember Katie Brennan praised Sherrill Tuesday and said she would introduce legislation that sets “clear standards” for how complaints are investigated and resolved.
“Governor Sherrill moved quickly here, and I’m glad she did, but survivors shouldn’t have to hope that the people in charge will do the right thing. Our laws still fail to protect survivors when they come forward, and that has to change.
In 2017, Brennan accused Al Alvarez, a campaign staffer for former Gov. Phil Murphy, of sexually assaulting her while she was volunteering for the campaign. Prosecutors never charged Alvarez. But Brennan later settled a civil suit against the state and campaign for $1 million.
Brennan’s statement called the allegations against Caldwell “serious.” She called for a “thorough and independent investigation” but did not say whether he should step down from his job.
Other New Jersey Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, have called for Caldwell to step down from his positions in the administration while the investigation is ongoing. Bucco’s office said it did not have anything to add Tuesday.
In addition to his role as lieutenant governor, Caldwell serves as secretary of state, which oversees New Jersey's Division of Elections.
A separate investigation is currently underway into noncitizen voting in the state that occurred before the Sherrill administration took office.
Earlier this year, Sherrill revealed that up to 6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote during the previous administration’s time in office, with roughly 300 casting ballots in elections.
Michael Sol Warren contributed reporting. This article has been updated with comment from Assemblymember Brennan.
Tagged
Mikie Sherrill
Politics
new jersey
Mike Hayes
Mike Hayes covers equity and access to opportunity in New Jersey. He joined WNYC and Gothamist in 2023. Before that, he worked as a freelance journalist writing about policing and criminal justice. He has written for ProPublica, CNN, HuffPost, BuzzFeed News and The Appeal. He is also the author of the book, “The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform.” In 2019, he was a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .