NJ Governor resigning right now

[pchang]

OMG! Are you listening to this right now?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Holy crap, really?!

edit: I just saw it! McGreevey resigned citing a homosexual extramaritial affair.

WOW... this had been rumored for YEARS, and the GOP 'dirty agents' were planning to try to spread the rumor. Guess it wasn't just a rumor after all. And I thought they were all nuts at the time (I was Prez of the College Republicans at Rutgers).

[Richelieu]

The wife looks like she's going to strangle him.

[The diplomat]

Just goes to show that Democrats are perverts!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hell, she must be thinking "I drove you gay"? Not like he was going to win reelection anyway, but I wonder did this merit a resignation? Maybe the party bosses said with his low popularity rating, this would just kill him, and he should resign and give the Dems a chance of winning in the governor's race next year (I think it is).

[The Mad Monk]

He's gay!?

I knew he was in trouble due to corruption, and when I heard he was resigning, I thought it was about that -- I heard nothing about this before.

[Verto]

Is this the guy?

[Imran Siddiqui]

He's gay!?

There had been rumors of it for a while (mostly among GOP people who hated "McSleezey"). I always thought they were kooks, but it looked like the rumors weren't too far from the mark. Not that it matters to me (it did to them).

[Imran Siddiqui]

Is this the guy?

Yes

[The Mad Monk]

Hannity's saying it's not fair he not resigning today -- if they did, they could hold a Gubenatorial election this November.

Personally, I think that's stretching it a bit.

[The Mad Monk]

I always preferred "McGreedy", myself.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's Hannity, you expect cogency from him?

[Verto]

Wasn't that a McDonald's character?

[The Mad Monk]

Old article on Cipel's resignation:

McGreevey adviser Golan Cipel resigns


Home News Tribune/2002

Golan Cipel, the governor's mysterious adviser, has left the McGreevey administration.



Published in the Home News Tribune 8/15/02
By BOB INGLE
GANNETT STATE BUREAU
TRENTON -- Golan Cipel, the controversial and highly paid adviser to Gov. James E. McGreevey, has resigned for personal reasons, the Governor's Office said yesterday.

Paul Aronsohn, communications director for McGreevey, said Cipel told McGreevey Tuesday he wanted to leave his job. "The governor accepted it with regret," Aronsohn said.

McGreevey was traveling and unavailable for interviews.

"I have received offers from private companies which I have decided to pursue. I thank the governor for his support and the opportunity to work for New Jersey," Cipel said in a statement issued by McGreevey's staff yesterday.

Asked whether Cipel's position would be filled and whether his three assistants would be retained, Aronsohn replied, "We will review our needs."

Cipel, 33, an Israeli citizen, was originally hired as McGreevey's lead security adviser in February. He resigned in March after questions about his background, but was kept on the government payroll at $110,000 a year.

The administration declined to give a formal job description or allow Cipel to be interviewed by the media.

McGreevey has said he met Cipel on a trip to Israel in 2000 and decided to bring him to the United States. Cipel was first hired by the Democratic State Committee, which also paid his $1,100 registration fee with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Cipel landed a second job with developer Charles Kushner, a top McGreevey campaign contributor, after McGreevey recommended him, a Kushner spokesman said.

Following McGreevey's election, he announced Cipel would focus on homeland security though Cipel couldn't get a federal security clearance because he is not an American.

Lawmakers were angry that McGreevey's top security aide was not subjected to a background check required for all Cabinet members and major nominations. When members of the Senate Judiciary Committee demanded that Cipel testify before them, McGreevey reassigned him to a job as "counselor to the governor" with no specified duties.

A Gannett State Bureau report two weeks ago showed McGreevey relied on exaggerated anti-terrorism credentials to justify Cipel's hiring for the $110,000-a-year post, which included an office on the second floor of the Statehouse.

"This must be retreat week," said Senate Majority Leader Anthony Bucco, R-Morris. "Yesterday we watched as the governor backtracked on his opposition to open public records, and today he is saying good-bye to a high-paid political crony. It's about time, governor."

Contributing: The Associated Press

http://www.thnt.com/thnt/story/0,21282,602598,00.html

[Imran Siddiqui]

You know what I was thinking, perhaps someone had the goods on him for corruption and told McGreevey to get out of office and this was the excuse McGreevey used in exchange for not going to jail or something.

Just a conspiracy theory of mine .