Have you been paying attention to the National News lately? Not? Then, you haven’t heard of Governor Jim McGreevey.
For those who are not familiar with the story we will start with the beginning.
On Thursday, August 12, 2004, Governor Jim McGreevey held a press conference to announce his “resignation” effective November 15, 2004.
Accompanied by his wife, Vanessa, Governor Jim McGreevey further announced that he was “gay American,” and that he was having an affair with Golan Cipel.
In an interview with The New York Post on August 14, 2004, Golan Cipel claimed that he was heterosexual and was sexually assaulted by the governor of New Jersey more than a dozen times.
As for this scandal, the mainstream media applauded the fact that he “dared” to step out and ignore more important issues.
There was the issue of Golan Cipel (an Israeli citizen) which governor Jim McGreevey called his Homeland Security adviser. Cipel has no security experience. He is a former poet and sailor who has worked as a television news reporter and spokesman for the Israeli Consulate in New York.
Cipel gets a job without the official fanfare that usually accompanies such promises. Cipel does not undergo a background check. Additionally, Cipel is not an American citizen, so he cannot qualify for a security clearance.
Then there was the problem of the governor waiting until November 15, 2004 to resign.
The New Jersey GOP has asked the governor to quit immediately as he enacted on August 12, 2004.
Sources have confirmed that the John Kerry campaign asked Governor McGreevey to wait until after the November 2, 2004 presidential election to resign. The source stated, “The Kerry campaign asked him to stick around until after the election because they need to have consistency until after the (presidential) election.”
In addition, the source confirmed Kerry’s campaign to stay at McGreevey left office because, “the campaign contacted the Governor’s Office and asked McGreevey to postpone his resignation, according to the source, fearing such disruption would shift campaign funds and focus away from Kerry’s race and into a contest. for the governor on Nov. 2. ”
Even more concerning is the governor’s decision to put politics ahead of what’s good for the state of New Jersey.
If McGreevey resigns before Sept. 3, there will be a Nov. special election. 2 to fill in the remaining 14 months of his term of office.
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However, after September 3, 2004, Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, was likely to become interim governor until January 2006.
Democrats say Republicans are exploiting the situation for political reasons.
Politics will become politics, in the end the only people who pay the price are “citizens.” Whether it is a domestic issue or the current threat of terrorism in New Jersey, citizens must demand the right to open elections.