Jim McGreevey

James Edward "Jim" McGreevey (born August 6, 1957) is an American Democratic politician. He served as the Governor of New Jersey from January 15, 2002 until November 15, 2004, when he resigned three months after admitting that he had had an extramarital affair with a male employee. He was the first and, to date, the only openly gay state governor in American history.

Decision to resign

McGreevey's first term was mired in controversy, from the credentials of several of his appointments to pay-for-play and extortion scandals involving many of his backers and key New Jersey Democratic fundraisers. On August 12, 2004, faced with reports that Golan Cipel would file a sexual harassment suit against him in Mercer County Court, McGreevey announced at a press conference that he was "a gay American", that he "engaged in an adult consensual affair with another man" (whom his aides immediately named as Cipel), and that he would resign effective November 15, 2004. This announcement made McGreevey America's first openly gay governor. The Star-Ledger won the Pulitzer Prize for its coverage. McGreevey had previously appointed Cipel to serve as his homeland security aide. After only eight months in office, Cipel resigned from the post amid complaints about his lack of qualifying experience for the position. Cipel was indeed unqualified for the job of homeland security as he lacked any relevant experience and could not gain a security clearance as he was not a U.S. citizen.

Related Topics:
August 12 - 2004 - Golan Cipel - Sexual harassment - Mercer County - Gay - November 15 - Star-Ledger - Pulitzer Prize - Homeland security

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The announcement allowed McGreevey to be the first to present the news of the upcoming suit to the media, while the delay of the effective date of resignation until after September 3, 2004 avoided a special election in November to replace the governor. This allowed the Democratic Party to remain in power for at least another year, while avoiding the prospect of George W. Bush running in tandem with a Republican candidate for governor, possibly capturing New Jersey's electoral votes. (Bush did not win New Jersey's electoral votes in the 2004 presidential election, but did better than in 2000.)

Related Topics:
September 3 - 2004 - George W. Bush - Electoral - 2004 presidential election - 2000

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Almost immediately after McGreevey's announcement, Republicans and others in New Jersey called upon the governor not to wait until November to resign and instead to do so at once.http://nytimes.com/2004/08/13/nyregion/13CND-MCGREEVEY.html?hp An editorial in the New York Times read, "Mr. McGreevey's strategy doesn't serve New Jersey residents well. The state will be led by an embattled governor mired in personal and legal problems for three months."http://nytimes.com/2004/08/13/opinion/13fri1.html An online petition paid for by the "Scott Garrett for Congress" campaign was claimed to have drawn 10,000 signatures by Garrett's campaign manager on August 27, although it wasn't clear how many of the signatures were those of New Jersey residents. On September 15, U.S. District Judge Garrett Brown Jr. dismissed the case Afran v. McGreevey, filed by Green Party lawyers Bruce Afran and Carl Mayers, dismissing their claim that the postponement of McGreevey's resignation had left a vacancy, thereby violating New Jersey residents voting rights. Brown stated, McGreevey "clearly intends to hold office until Nov. 15, 2004. The requirement of holding a special election does not arise. The rights of registered voters are not being violated." Afran re-filed the same suit in Mercer County Superior Court and Judge Linda R. Feinberg heard arguments on October 4.

Related Topics:
New York Times - Scott Garrett - August 27 - September 15 - Green Party - Superior Court - October 4

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fellow Democrat and New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey took office upon McGreevey's resignation and is expected to serve the remainder of the term – until the November 2005 gubernatorial election. The New Jersey State Constitution stipulates that Senate president retains that position while serving as acting governor.

Related Topics:
New Jersey Senate - Richard Codey - 2005 - New Jersey State Constitution

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many people suspect that McGreevey used the "homosexual affair" to cover up much of the many scandals during his reign as governor. These scandals involved bribery, fraud, and attempted interruptions in Congressional investigations.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~