McGreevey out!?!

McGreevey out!?!

: NJ Gov Jim McGreevey is quitting today. More to come later. I will link you to everything on NJ.com.

: The NJ.com Statehouse Forum has the hints to what’s coming.

: The reason, you’ll learn soon, is incredible.

: Here’s the NJ.com breaking news blog; they’ll be on top of this huge story.

: NJ101.5 radio is saying that it’s not 100 percent he will step down. The TV stations are hedging like mad.

: Here’s the WABC report.

Let’s put it this way: It’s not a campaign finance scandal.

: It’s dripping out: Golan Cipel is reportedly going to file a sexual harrassment claim against McGreevey.

Cipel was, with great controversy, appointed as state anti-terrorism chief early in the administration.

: For reference only, here’s a link to McGreeveySucks.com.

: Let’s put it this way: You Soprano’s fans will remember the surprise about this guy on the Sopranos. A Jersey trend in the making.

: Says PoliticsNJ.com:

If McGreevey were to resign before September 15, New Jersey would have a special gubernatorial election on November 2, 2004. If he were to resign after that date, Codey would hold the office until the end of McGreevey’s term in January 2006.

: The NJ.com Statehouse Forum says that McGreevey’s mysterious broken leg is related. Rumors….

For the record, so far, all this is rumors and reports.

: The background on Cipel is that he was hired by McGreevey to be head of homeland security for the state — even though he had no experience in that (other than being an Israeli).

Overheard in my office: “This is worse than banging your intern.”

: The press conference is much delayed. Wonder whether they’re sedating McGreevey… or bribing his wife.

33 responses to “McGreevey out!?!”

  1. Tom Avatar

    Excellent scoop – thanks for posting about it.

  2. themarkman Avatar
    themarkman

    And he’s gay? Holy shit! It doesn’t matter if you care or not, this is huge.

  3. Hubris Avatar

    I’m not sure which is more disturbing, the underlying story or the political cartoon at McGreeveySucks.com.
    Why’d they give McGreevey an afro? And does Cipel actually look like a young Paul Newman?

  4. Jay Avatar

    As I pointed out on my blog, I knew this turd back when he was the Mayor of Woodbridge, NJ.
    The man had a lust for power that went beyond anything else. He openly talked about the Governorship and even discussed the Presidency back then and this was, what, 10-12 years ago? He was in it for the power and nothing more.
    It will be a great thing if he goes down in flames because New Jersey should have better than him.

  5. Mr. Bingley Avatar
    Mr. Bingley

    the happiest man in america: john kerry
    a good sex story like this will push cambodia into the shadows.

  6. Sydney Carton Avatar
    Sydney Carton

    So basically, the rumors are that McGreevey hired a man with zero experience, and who actually couldn’t pass a background check, to be paid $110,000 dollars a year… and in reality the guy was just an overpaid gay prostitute?
    Wow.

  7. Tom Avatar

    Hmmm…that is an interesting summation.
    So are we going back to the days when I can hang out at the bar in Poor Billy’s with the man from Woodbridge?

  8. Zach Avatar

    Oh, this sure sounds like he’s coming out…

  9. Zach Avatar

    How nice of him to hold off resigning until Nov 15, so the residents of NJ get a year and half of a governor they didn’t elect to that office.

  10. TC-LeatherPenguin Avatar

    From the state that brought you the tactic of “pulling a Torricelli”, we have yet another jerking of the voters’ chain.

  11. Mark L Avatar

    I don’t understand why McGreevey is resigning.
    (a) He is a Democrat.
    (b) This is just about sex.
    I mean sure, there is a sexual harrassment suit, but how is this any worse than the whole Clinton scene. The was a sexual harrassment suit with Clinton, and no one on the left (including Jarvis) felt that Clinton needed to resign.
    So what’s the bfd? I mean, with a Republican both law and morality would have applicability to continued service in office, but with a Democrat neither much matters. They are above both the law and moral judgement.
    There must be more to it than just a simple sex and corruption scandal. Was McGreevey going to come out and endorse W. for President or something similarly unforgivable?

  12. Al Maviva Avatar
    Al Maviva

    I can’t believe this poor, beleagured man is leaving the office, just because powerful Republican interests have hounded him and hounded him, until he felt he couldn’t take it any more.
    What’s that? You’re saying that’s not what happened? It wasn’t mean-spirited Republicans doing this?
    Doesn’t matter. That will be the story by the time Paul Begala gets done with it.

  13. Sterling Avatar
    Sterling

    Al – Bret Schundler’s campaign knew in 2001 but never said a word. Repeat after me – the Republicans knew in 2001 but never said a word.

  14. j.scott barnard Avatar

    Who is Golan Cipel you might be asking?
    http://www.thnt.com/thnt/story/0,21282,626197,00.html
    …he’s out there making big six figures in the private sector now. We’re going to hear some things in the filings that supposed to make out McGreevey to be some bad man, but I wonder if this all isn’t just a personal vendetta.

  15. Charlie (Colorado) Avatar
    Charlie (Colorado)

    The man had a lust for power that went beyond anything else.
    Apparently not.

  16. Angus Jung Avatar
    Angus Jung

    “It’s dripping out”
    So to speak!

  17. papertiger Avatar
    papertiger

    THis is just like primary colors only the GOP candidate did the wrong thing. He should have outed this turd.
    Mud slinging is an American tradition for a reason. All this mamby pamby we have to rise above it is pure horseshit and a damger to the public.
    Kerry’s lie caused the death of two million Cambodians. He has shown zero remorse for it. PRESIDENT BUSH SHOULD BE HAMMERING HIS WAR RECORD NIGHT AND DAY , DAY AND NIGHT. Fuck all the papers. The media should be living in fear of pitchfork and torch parties.
    Just one man’s opinion:)

  18. Andrew | BB Avatar

    Jeff “Breathless” Jarvis
    I feel slimed. Thanks for making me feel like I’m stalking children. God.
    Yep, being Gay in America – completely different experience in 2004.

  19. Greg F Avatar

    New Jersey Constitution:
    ARTICLE V
    EXECUTIVE
    SECTION I
    9. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Governor, a Governor shall be elected to fill the unexpired term at the general election next succeeding the vacancy, unless the vacancy shall occur within sixty days immediately preceeding a general election, in which case he shall be elected at the second succeeding general election; but no election to fill an unexpired term shall be held in any year in which a Governor is to be elected for a full term. A Governor elected for an unexpired term shall assume his office immediately upon his election.
    This unrelated part of the Constitution I found humerous.
    ARTICLE II
    ELECTIONS AND SUFFRAGE
    SECTION I
    6. No idiot or insane person shall enjoy the right of suffrage.

  20. TPB, Esq. Avatar

    I was hoping he was going to wait until Chris Christie indicted him.
    After all, Machiavelli always said ’tis better to be feared than loved….

  21. Greg F Avatar

    “http://www.thnt.com/thnt/story/0,21282,626197,00.html
    …he’s out there making big six figures in the private sector now.”
    Article doesn’t say that.

  22. matt Avatar

    This was the man who was supposed to clean up New jersey politics? The scandal with his fundraiser was bad enough, but this takes the cake.
    McGreevy’s conduct was abhorrent any way you look at it. His decision to wait until Nov 15 tells me two things:
    1 – he is utterly partisan
    2 – he may be thinking that with a Kerry/liberal victory he may be able to hang on….it’s a Gore thing….announce and then repudiate….

  23. J. Rice Avatar

    It’s far more than sex, but it might be the first time that someone has claims gayness as a defense for, dare we say, corruption?
    http://takingnotes.blogspot.com/2004/08/can-you-spell-c-o-r-r-u-p-t-i-o-n.html

  24. michiganfan Avatar
    michiganfan

    So, another corrupt politician bites the dust. Which is a good thing, but, I hope they prosecute him for appointing his boy-toy, essentially a male prostitute to be the head of Homeland Security of the state of NJ!!! Or maybe he can move to San Fran with his male b**ch and get married in a lovely ceremony.
    As the brits say, Good riddance to bad rubbish!!!!

  25. Scott @ Slant Point Avatar

    I have loads of background on this story – and a photo of Golan.

  26. Geeber Avatar

    Andrew, if you had said this is about “being a corrupt politician in America,” you’d have been more accurate.
    Incidentally, I don’t think we’ve heard everything regarding this story as of yet.

  27. AL Maviva Avatar

    So what are you telling me, Sterling, that Schundler is one of the “good Republicans” who wouldn’t hurt a gay politician?
    What is this, Schundler’s List?

  28. Sterling Avatar
    Sterling

    I’m tellin’ you, Al, that there is a direct and easy refutation to any claim that Republicans had a role in this.
    And YES, compared to most of the sleazeballs in the NJ GOP or the NJ Democrat Party, Schundler is a saint. The man left high office in Hudson County without being indicted – it’s almost unheard of.

  29. WannabeAnglican Avatar

    Zach and TC got it right. To me the biggest outrage is that NJ Democrats are perverting democracy . . . again.
    (Yes, I’m still mad that crook Lautenburg willfully broke election laws and stole the Senate seat. I wouldn’t shake hands with that bastard.)

  30. Andy Avatar

    This hasn’t been a secret. For example, see this prescient Usenet post from 2001. So I don’t see this a scoop or anything.

  31. Andy Avatar

    Also, this from 1997: http://tinyurl.com/7xknm