Shirley Emehelu will Serve as Next LG of NJ
Gov. Mikie Sherrill will announce Acting Secretary of State Shirley Emehelu as New Jersey’s next lieutenant governor, according to published reports.
Earlier today:
Governor Sherrill Statement on Reynolds-Jackson’s Withdrawal from Lieutenant Governor Consideration |
| "I appreciate Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson’s willingness to step forward for consideration as Lieutenant Governor. I understand and respect her decision that now is not the right time for her. She is a tireless champion for her district, and I’m pleased that she will continue to be a close partner.
"Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson is in a class of her own. From education and health care to voting rights, she has long championed equity and expanded opportunities for working families, especially for the Black community throughout her career and as Chair of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus. "I know our commitment to our partnership is strong, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with her to deliver for the Black community and working families in every community across New Jersey." |
In conjunction with her release of a report detailing misconduct allegations furnished by an independent investigation, the Governor had called for Caldwell to resign.
He complied.
On Sept. 25th, Sherrill personally made the announcement in her outer office.
"He demonstrated a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this administration," the Governor said of the former LG.
"In my administration we are committed to doing what is right not what is politically expedient," she added.
The Governor promised "to move swiftly to select a new LG."
Standing beside Sherrill, Acting Comptroller Emehelu became New Jerey's acting secretary of state, the cabinet position Caldwell filled in addition to serving as lieutenant governor.
"There has been a culture in Trenton probably since the birth of our nation to sweep this under the rug," Sherrill told reporters. [There are people] who "for decades felt this day would never come, that action would never be taken, that victims would either have to quit their job or move on.
"When I say there is a culture change going on, I mean it," the Governor added. ..."The key thing was to remove the lieutenant governor from his position so we could continue forward with our agenda for the state."
She expressed her complete confidence in Emehelu to oversee fair and safe elections.
From the state Attorney General's Office:
Shirley Emehelu is the Executive Assistant Attorney General, the third ranking official in the Office. Emehelu was previously a Member of the White Collar criminal Defense and Government Investigations Group of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, and co-led the firm’s Banking and Finance Group. She also previously served as Chief of Asset Recovery and Anti-Money Laundering for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, overseeing various statewide programs, including federal asset forfeiture, money laundering, and victim restitution. During her nine-year tenure at the US Attorney’s Office, she prosecuted numerous complex financial fraud cases. Emehelu clerked for the Honorable James R. Spencer in the Eastern District of Virginia. She received her B.A. from Yale University and J.D. from Yale Law School.
