New Jersey's McGreevey
Steps
Down as Governor
By AP from the WSJ Online, August 12, 2004
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.
"It was wrong, it was foolish, it was inexcusable.''
The Democrat said his resignation would be effective Nov. 15. Mr. McGreevey said he would step down because his secret -- both his sexuality and his affair -- leaves the governor's office vulnerable.
In a press conference, he said: "I am removing these threats by telling you directly about my sexuality.
Let me be clear: I accept total and full responsibility for my actions.
... However, I am required now to do what is right to correct the consequences of my actions."
The governor, who was married once before, said he has long struggled with the thoughts of his sexuality.
"Because of my resolve and also thinking I was doing the right thing, I also forced what I thought was an acceptable reality onto myself," he said.
Mr. McGreevey, the state's 51st governor, took office 2 1/2 years ago and, despite inheriting a $5 billion budget deficit, he steadfastly refused to boost income taxes for most New Jerseyans, instead raising taxes on millionaires, casinos and cigarettes.
But he has been dogged by several scandals involving fund-raising. Mr. 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.
Mr. McGreevey never truly stopped that campaign until he won in November 2001, beating Republican Bret Schundler by 15 percentage points.
Born in Jersey City, Mr. 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, Mr. McGreevey became a lobbyist for a pharmaceutical company, then a state government official.
While in the legislature, Mr. McGreevey voted for Gov. Jim Florio's $2.8 billion tax hike that prompted a voter rebellion against Democrats.
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