Bucco, DiMaio call for bipartisan committee to investigate Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell allegations
TRENTON, N.J. — Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco and Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio are calling for the creation of a bicameral, bipartisan select committee of the Legislature to investigate allegations involving Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell and the Sherrill administration’s handling of the matter.
Bucco, R-Morris and Passaic, and DiMaio, R-Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren, sent a letter Sept. 10 to Senate President Scutari and Assembly Speaker Coughlin requesting the committee.
The lawmakers said the committee should examine allegations of wrongdoing by Caldwell that were recently reported by the press, as well as what they described as the administration’s handling of and lack of transparency regarding those allegations.
In the letter, Bucco and DiMaio said several questions need answers, including what Caldwell has been accused of, when Gov. Mikie Sherrill and administration officials first learned of the allegations, what actions were taken in response and why outside counsel was retained.
They also questioned who determined that the allegations and investigation would not be made public, whether relevant records and communications were preserved, whether applicable ethics, personnel and reporting requirements were followed and whether policy changes may be needed.
“The important task of finding answers to these questions should not be left solely to investigators who report to the very Administration whose handling of this matter is in question. The Governor cannot be the sole judge of whether her own Administration responded appropriately to serious allegations involving one of its highest-ranking officials. The Legislature has an independent responsibility to conduct meaningful oversight and determine whether the allegations are substantiated and whether anyone in the Sherrill Administration may have handled the matter inappropriately.”
Bucco and DiMaio said the committee should have equal representation from both parties, with co-chairs appointed by the presiding officers and minority leaders.
They also called for the committee to have full subpoena authority to obtain relevant testimony, documents, communications, electronic records and investigative materials.
“That responsibility should not be viewed through a partisan lens. A bicameral bipartisan select committee, with equal representation from both parties, would provide the independence and credibility necessary to conduct a fair and thorough examination. It would also demonstrate that accountability and transparency are principles that transcend party affiliation.”
The lawmakers also wrote:
“Governor Sherrill has claimed transparency and accountability as defining aspirations of her Administration. Those principles must also apply when the conduct and decisions of her own Administration are under scrutiny. New Jerseyans deserve more than a secretive internal review and scant details that emerge only after questions are raised by the press. They deserve an independent examination of what the Governor and her Administration knew, when they knew it, and how they responded.”
Bucco and DiMaio urged Scutari and Coughlin to establish the committee without delay.
