Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell is preparing for a legal and political fight over allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women and possible ethics violations, including purported offers of state jobs, and now has former Attorney General Peter Harvey advising him.
Harvey is a formidable legal figure and skilled negotiator. A former federal and state prosecutor, he has advised the NFL on hiring matters and was the court-appointed independent federal monitor for the Newark Police Department for nine years.
Since the New Jersey Globe first reported the investigation on Friday, Caldwell has pushed back forcefully against the allegations. In one text message to a friend obtained by the New Jersey Globe, he described the matter as “a war with evil.”
In another text message, Caldwell accused the Sherrill administration of hiring a law firm to discredit him. The message appeared to refer to Sherrill’s decision to retain former Attorney General Christopher Porrino and other attorneys from Lowenstein Sandler to conduct the internal review.
A letter obtained by BINJE shows Caldwell also denied the allegations in writing months before the investigation became public. In the May 28 letter to state officials, Caldwell insistently rejected the claim that he pursued women romantically while serving as lieutenant governor. He wrote the letter and was interviewed by the Lowenstein team without legal representation.
Caldwell’s public posture also suggests that race could become part of the dispute. He is the first Black man to serve as New Jersey’s lieutenant governor, and some of his friends told the New Jersey Globe that he may argue he is being targeted or treated differently because of his race.
That would create a politically sensitive dynamic for Sherrill, who has said that any credible report of misconduct must be fully examined while also emphasizing that the rights of those accused must be protected. The governor has declined to confirm whether Caldwell is under active investigation or to discuss its details.
Harvey, who became New Jersey’s first Black attorney general in 2003, did not respond to a text message seeking comment.