TRENTON, N.J. — Assemblyman Alex Sauickie called Tuesday for Gov. Mikie Sherrill to suspend out-of-state travel while Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell remains under internal investigation, arguing that Sherrill cannot keep handing gubernatorial authority to the subject of her own administration’s probe.
Sherrill’s administration hired former state Attorney General Christopher Porrino to investigate allegations that Caldwell engaged in inappropriate behavior toward women and committed possible ethics violations, according to the New Jersey Globe, which first reported the investigation Friday. Caldwell has not been placed on leave.
“This is no longer simply about the governor leaving New Jersey to campaign for politicians in other states or build her national political profile. This is now about who is actually in charge of our state when she leaves,” said Sauickie (R-Ocean).
Under the New Jersey Constitution, gubernatorial powers automatically transfer to the lieutenant governor whenever the governor leaves the state.
Caldwell served as acting governor for a combined 28 days as of Aug. 26. That’s roughly one of every eight days since Sherrill’s Jan. 20 inauguration, according to the governor’s publicly released schedule.
That does not include other trips Sherrill has taken outside New Jersey, including an April 17 flight aboard a state helicopter to a U.S. Naval Academy event that later drew scrutiny.
The Globe has reported that the investigation into Caldwell was already underway when he most recently served as acting governor just more than a week ago.
“The governor cannot claim these allegations are serious enough to investigate and then hand the powers of her office to the person being investigated,” Sauickie said. “That means every time she crosses the state line, she is potentially handing the powers of the Governor’s Office to an individual her own administration is actively investigating. That is completely unacceptable.”
Sauickie said his objection is not limited to the investigation itself but to what he described as a broader pattern of Sherrill traveling to campaign for candidates in other states, including recent trips to Massachusetts and New Hampshire, while an affordability crisis, property taxes and school funding remain unresolved at home.
“Governor Sherrill wanted this job. Right now, New Jersey needs her to stay here and do it,” Sauickie said. “No political stumping. No national profile-building. No leaving the state and transferring gubernatorial authority while the Lieutenant Governor is under investigation. The people of New Jersey deserve stability, transparency and leadership.”
Sauickie said Caldwell is entitled to a fair process and that he is not prejudging the investigation’s outcome, but said its existence alone should disqualify Caldwell from exercising gubernatorial authority until it concludes.
“This is not about prejudging the outcome of an investigation,” he said. “It is about basic judgment and responsible government.”
