Skip to content

Government & PolicyDeveloping

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigns after ethics report finds sexual harassment

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 15 outlets, mostly right-leaning (66%).

21 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigned Friday after Gov. Mikie Sherrill demanded he step down over an independent investigation's findings. The 61-page report, from law firm Lowenstein Sandler, found credible evidence Caldwell sexually harassed a female staffer, including telling her that "you young women are looking for young sperm" after she said a friend wasn't interested in him romantically. Sherrill said the report found repeated violations of state policy and that Caldwell "failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office." Caldwell denied the allegations through his attorney, Thomas Calcagni, who said the investigation was one-sided and denied him due process. Sherrill has 45 days to name a replacement.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Caldwell resigned Friday after Sherrill gave him an ultimatum to do so by that day

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. The investigation found Caldwell told a staffer "you young women are looking for young sperm"

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. Caldwell's attorney disputed the findings, saying the investigation lacked due process

    Reported byLeftRight

  4. The report was 61 pages and conducted by law firm Lowenstein Sandler over four months

    Reported byLeftRight

  5. As lieutenant governor, Caldwell could not be fired by the governor, only impeached by the legislature

    Reported byLeft

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. Republicans had criticized Sherrill for weeks over the handling of the investigation

    Reported byCenter

  2. Caldwell also served as New Jersey's secretary of state and oversaw elections

    Reported byCenter

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Whether Caldwell made the alleged 'young sperm' comment

    The investigation found the comment credible; Caldwell denies making it, and his lawyer notes a state trooper present did not hear it said.

  • Whether the investigation was fair

    Sherrill's administration says the probe was thorough and protected privacy; Caldwell's attorney says it was one-sided and denied him due process.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    4 outlets

    Left-leaning outlets frame the story around the governor's demand and the ethics findings, generally using measured, factual headlines.

    New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigns after ethics probe
    ABC NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    PBS frames the resignation as a scandal Sherrill sought to end before midterms, noting political pressure from Republicans.

  • the right

    10 outlets

    Right-leaning outlets emphasize Caldwell's Democratic affiliation and use more dramatic language, with some outlets (Daily Wire, Washington Times) adding sensational framing while others (Fox, Epoch Times, Center Square) report more neutrally.

    Leading Democrat Official Resigns After Probe Uncovers Sexual Harassment of Young Female Staffer
    The Western JournalFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left2

    damning sexual harassment investigationscathing ethics report

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right4

    Sparks A Whole New ProblemEmbattled New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwellbombshell ethics and sexual harassment inquiryillegal alien

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    Sparks A Whole New ProblemMore neutral: Raises Additional Questions

    Vague dramatic phrasing implies escalating scandal without specifying facts.

    Top Democrat’s ‘Young Sperm’ Comment Sparks A Whole New Problem

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    damning sexual harassment investigationMore neutral: sexual harassment investigation

    Presents the investigation's conclusions with a judgmental adjective.

    …Governor Mikie Sherrill’s second-in-command and was the subject of a damning sexual harassment investigation.

    Used byTheGrio (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    scathing ethics reportMore neutral: critical ethics report

    Characterizes the report's tone rather than stating facts.

    Governor of New Jersey, resigns amid scathing ethics report

    Used byTheGrio (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    Embattled New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale CaldwellMore neutral: New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell

    Pre-judges Caldwell's standing before detailing the facts.

    (The Center Square) — Embattled New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell has stepped down following an investigation that revealed damaging…

    Used byThe Center Square (Right)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    bombshell ethics and sexual harassment inquiryMore neutral: ethics and sexual harassment inquiry

    Uses a dramatic label rather than describing the inquiry factually.

    Caldwell has resigned following a bombshell ethics and sexual harassment inquiry.

    Used byThe Washington Times (Right)

  • Dehumanizing label

    illegal alienMore neutral: unauthorized immigrant or noncitizen without legal status

    Appears in some statutes but is widely read as dehumanizing; 'alien' frames people as foreign objects rather than residents.

    Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) — you know, the one who bragged about refusing illegal alien voter data to the Trump administration — demanded he leave by today, Friday.

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

4 outlets

Leads with

  • Sherrill's statements and press conference
  • details of the harassment findings
  • Caldwell's history as running mate

Leaves out

  • Republican criticism of Sherrill's handling of the matter

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 6 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • political timing ahead of midterms
  • Republican criticism of Sherrill
  • Sherrill's remarks on workplace culture
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

10 outlets

Leads with

  • Caldwell's party affiliation
  • the 'young sperm' quote
  • Caldwell's denial and due process complaints

Leaves out

  • legislative impeachment process as the only removal mechanism

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 10 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    NBC News, Sep 24, 11:14 PM EDT

  • Center

    16 hr 57 min later

    Its first report, Sep 25, 4:11 PM EDT

  • Right

    9 hr 21 min later

    Its first report, Sep 25, 8:35 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. NBC NewsLeftSep 24, 11:14 PM EDT
  2. ABC NewsLeftSep 25, 2:39 AM EDT
  3. The Daily WireFar RightSep 25, 8:35 AM EDT
  4. Fox NewsFar RightSep 25, 3:09 PM EDT
  5. TheGrioLeftSep 25, 3:11 PM EDT
  6. The Epoch TimesFar RightSep 25, 3:16 PM EDT
  7. The Center SquareRightSep 25, 3:46 PM EDT
  8. The Washington TimesRightSep 25, 4:06 PM EDT
  9. PBS NewsHourCenterSep 25, 4:11 PM EDT
  10. The Washington PostLeftSep 25, 4:17 PM EDT
  11. PJ MediaFar RightSep 25, 5:46 PM EDT
  12. TheBlazeFar RightSep 25, 5:51 PM EDT
  13. Hot AirFar RightSep 25, 8:00 PM EDT
  14. RedStateFar RightSep 26, 2:21 PM EDT
  15. The Western JournalFar RightSep 26, 7:00 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page