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TRENTON, N.J. - Gov. James E. McGreevey began suffering fallout from his bombshell resignation announcement Friday as his former homeland security adviser accused the governor of sexual harassment and Republican leaders called on him to leave office immediately.
"While employed by one of the most powerful politicians in the country, New Jersey Gov. McGreevey, I was the victim of repeated sexual advances by him," Golan Cipel said in a statement read by his attorney in New York. The attorney added that McGreevey has made Cipel the victim of a "smear campaign."
McGreevey announced his resignation Thursday in a dramatic, nationally televised news conference in which he revealed he had an affair with another man.
McGreevey's spokesman, Micah Rasmussen, vehemently denied Cipel's accusations, calling them "completely and totally false allegations from a person trying to exploit his relationship with the governor. The matter has been referred to federal authorities."
McGreevey did not name the other man in his Thursday news conference, but the Associated Press reported it was Cipel, citing two sources close to the governor, both speaking on condition of anonymity. One source, a high-ranking member of the McGreevey administration, said Cipel threatened McGreevey with a sexual harassment suit unless he was paid millions of dollars, the AP reported.
McGreevey named Cipel as New Jersey's $110,000-a-year director of homeland security in 2002. But Cipel was transferred to a different position after a storm of opposition from lawmakers who questioned his qualifications. He later left state government.
Cipel, a poet and former Israeli navy lieutenant, landed the job despite having no security experience, and he raised concerns among government agents who reportedly refused to share information with him because was a foreigner with no security clearance.
The saga took another strange turn Friday as Cipel alleged that "intimidation" by McGreevey representatives cowed him into keeping quiet about the affair until now. Cipel attorney Allen M. Lowy said his client was offered money after the governor was informed of a possible lawsuit. He said "only time will tell" whether a lawsuit against McGreevey is filed.
"After a long period of pain and introspection, I realized that in order to live my life ... I needed to put this behind me. But the only way to do this was to have Gov. McGreevey take responsibility publicly for his horrible actions, which he did by resigning from public office," Cipel said.
Republican leaders called on McGreevey to leave office immediately, saying news of the affair is likely to be first of many damaging disclosures.
"It is my suspicion that there will be more awkward stories in the days and weeks to come - stories that will make it very difficult for him to carry out the duties of his office," said state Republican chairman Joe Kyrillos.
Had McGreevey stepped down immediately, a special election would pick someone to serve the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2006. The decision to leave office in November allows Democratic Senate President Richard J. Codey to finish the term.
Democrats said GOP leaders were unfairly trying to capitalize on McGreevey's personal decision. "This is the time for the people's business, not for partisan politics," Codey said.
McGreevey's resignation brings an end to a political career that has been marked by a series of scandals and missteps, including the Cipel appointment.
McGreevey was introduced to Cipel at a reception during a trip to Israel in 2000 when he was running for governor. The married American politician and the young Israeli poet were introduced at a reception and hit it off immediately, according to an Israeli mayor who introduced the two.
Soon, McGreevey paved the way for Cipel to come to the United States. Six months later, Cipel was working on McGreevey's campaign. He lived in an apartment less than a mile from McGreevey.
Working first in a $30,000-a-year public relations job, Cipel was named to head the state Office of Homeland Security in February 2002. "Golan is smart, incisive, hard-working and trustworthy, and he has brought a unique point of view to the work he does," McGreevey said at the time.
But nagging questions about his qualifications and the reason for his appointment trailed Cipel, who was told by McGreevey not to grant media interviews.
Asked by reporters on several occasions if he was gay or had a romantic relationship with Cipel, McGreevey would never answer directly, dismissing the suggestion as "ridiculous."
The heat was turned up after the Star-Ledger of Newark reported that the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI had both refused to share information with Cipel because of his lack of security clearance.
Buckling to pressure, McGreevey reassigned him as a "special counsel" in the governor's office. He left state government five months later.