Posted on 08/12/2004 2:31:07 PM PDT by swilhelm73
NEW YORK -- In a stunning declaration, Gov. James E. McGreevey announced his resignation Thursday and acknowledged that he had an extramarital affair with another man. "My truth is that I am a gay American," he said.
"Shamefully, I engaged in adult consensual affairs with another man, which violates my bonds of matrimony," the married father of two said at a news conference. "It was wrong, it was foolish, it was inexcusable."
The Democrat said his resignation would be effective Nov. 15.
McGreevey, 47, said that "it makes little difference that as governor I am gay," but added that staying in office and keeping the affair and his sexual orientation secret will leave the governor's office "vulnerable to rumors, false allegations and threats of disclosure."
"Given the circumstances surrounding the affair and its likely impact upon my family and my ability to govern, I have decided the right course of action is to resign," he said.
McGreevey did not elaborate on what the circumstances were.
The former suburban mayor took office 21/2 years ago, and despite inheriting a $5 billion budget deficit, he steadfastly refused to boost income taxes for most New Jerseyans. He instead raised taxes on millionaires, casinos and cigarettes.
But he has been dogged by several scandals involving fund-raising.
Among those caught up in recent scandals were his first chief of staff and former counsel; a top Democratic fund-raiser and former high school classmate; and real estate developer Charles Kushner, McGreevey's biggest campaign contributor, who was charged with trying to thwart a federal campaign-finance investigation by luring a grand jury witness -- his own brother-in-law -- into a compromising position with a prostitute and sending video and photos to the man's wife.
McGreevey is the second governor to announce his resignation in recent weeks, following the resignation in June of Connecticut GOP Gov. John Rowland amid corruption investigations and threats of impeachment.
McGreevey rose from suburban mayor to state chief executive by his tenacious pursuit of party politics, maintaining a power base days after he narrowly lost to Republican Christie Whitman in 1997.
McGreevey never truly stopped that campaign until he won in November 2001, beating Republican Bret Schundler by 15 percentage points.
Born in Jersey City, McGreevey graduated from Columbia University in 1978. He earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1981 and a master's degree in education from Harvard University a year later.
After briefly serving as a county prosecutor, McGreevey became a lobbyist for a pharmaceutical company, then a state government official. While in the Legislature, McGreevey voted for Gov. Jim Florio's $2.8 billion tax hike that prompted a voter rebellion against Democrats.
The sad thing is that there are sick perverts like this in even more powerful and prominent positions. McGreevey is a start -- but we need to flush them all out.
Wow, what the heck is going on in New Jersey?
In my most reflective and most spiritual point I have always asked 'which master should I serve'...I am a Gay American...this is an intensely personal decision"My thought is that, yes, deciding which master to serve is an intensly personal decision, no matter how one goes about it...and it looks like McGreevey decided which master to serve...and it was the wrong one.
Sodomy, homsexuality, adultry...and so many more crimes and sins. Definitely, he chose to serve his master and that master has made him his and is now carefully leading him down to hell and misery...to join him there.
One ought to choose the right...choose the light...choose the King of Peace. The way may not be easy, but it will lead to joy, peace of mind, satisfaction, integrity, true love, and honor. Not these horrific counterfeits that this poor wretch is still falling for.
More on story at:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1190394/posts?page=3
This is a stunning blow to the conscience of New Jersey ...
I must be getting really, really old. I remember when a politician didn't even dare get a divorce, much less be proud of it.
here is a blow:::
Published in the Home News Tribune 8/15/02
TRENTON -- Golan Cipel, the controversial and highly paid adviser to Gov. James E. McGreevey, has resigned for personal reasons, the Governor's Office said yesterday.
Paul Aronsohn, communications director for McGreevey, said Cipel told McGreevey Tuesday he wanted to leave his job. "The governor accepted it with regret," Aronsohn said.
McGreevey was traveling and unavailable for interviews.
"I have received offers from private companies which I have decided to pursue. I thank the governor for his support and the opportunity to work for New Jersey," Cipel said in a statement issued by McGreevey's staff yesterday.
Asked whether Cipel's position would be filled and whether his three assistants would be retained, Aronsohn replied, "We will review our needs."
Cipel, 33, an Israeli citizen, was originally hired as McGreevey's lead security adviser in February. He resigned in March after questions about his background, but was kept on the government payroll at $110,000 a year.
The administration declined to give a formal job description or allow Cipel to be interviewed by the media.
McGreevey has said he met Cipel on a trip to Israel in 2000 and decided to bring him to the United States. Cipel was first hired by the Democratic State Committee, which also paid his $1,100 registration fee with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Cipel landed a second job with developer Charles Kushner, a top McGreevey campaign contributor, after McGreevey recommended him, a Kushner spokesman said.
Following McGreevey's election, he announced Cipel would focus on homeland security though Cipel couldn't get a federal security clearance because he is not an American.
Watch. People will try to turn this guy into a gay rights icon, but he's so damn corrupt, playing the "I'm a victim of my identity struggle" is the only card he has left. He's a crook--gay or whatever.
Jersey Gov. tried to claim it was with consent..that he had the ..uh...affair.
THEN WHY DID THE GUY FILE A SEXUAL LAW SUIT AGAINST HIM>
I actually think there might be more to this than the homosexual angle -- after all, an "out and proud" homosexual is a hero to Democrats as one of their most favorite "victim" groups. Just the fact that the guy filing suit was not properly vetted for his homeland security position seems rather suspicious to me.
I posted this same thing thirty minutes ago and the Admin pulled the thread. How long will this be on here I wonder?
The cat's out of the bag. Why wait? November is months away. He could do a lot of damage in that much time. Leave tomorrow.
A sad day for decent gay folk.
Roger that ~ Amen Brother!
Tortured by an unaccepting society, he hid his sexuality until he was exposed. Now he has to quit because voters wont accept a gay governor.
The real issue is that he put his unqualified gay lover in a position that put all NJ residents in danger. If Christie had a boy-toy and put in him in the same position, I would expect her to resign. Not because she's heterosexual, but because she put us in jeopardy.
Now McGreevey will be a gay martyre that we'll never hear the end of.
I don't believe he resigned because he's gay. The Democrats love, no celebrate and embrace perverts. There's probably corruption that would reach the governor and that was a bigger concern than the fact he's a "gay American."
How about being a liar? How about deceiving your wife? How about committing adultery? How about exposing your wife to who-knows-what pathogens.
I think those truths probably trump the "gay American" thing.
If he leaves now we get to elect a new governor in November. Can't have that!!! He leaves as corrupt as when he entered. We always knew he was a dirtbag.
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