http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040816/ap_on_re_us/governor_resigns&cid=519&ncid=716
And here I thought denial was only a river in Egypt...fun fun
Democrats Pressure McGreevey to Leave Soon
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By JOHN P. McALPIN, Associated Press Writer
TRENTON, N.J. - High-level New Jersey Democrats said Sunday that pressure is building among members of Gov. James E. McGreevey's own party for him to step down before his announced Nov. 15 resignation date.
A senior administration official and a Democratic consultant, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said several top Democrats are worried an FBI (news - web sites) investigation into the governor's same-sex relationship with a former aide will expose more politically damaging details.
"There's a deepening concern that it will get uglier and more damaging to the party. It's pressure for sooner rather than later," the consultant said.
Since McGreevey admitted having an affair with another man and announced his resignation Thursday, Republicans have called on him to step down immediately to prompt a special election to complete his term, which expires in January 2006.
If McGreevey leaves office Sept. 3 or later, Senate President Richard J. Codey, a fellow Democrat, would serve the remainder of the governor's term.
Several prominent Democrats are pressing McGreevey to leave before Nov. 15, but not necessarily before the September deadline, the consultant said.
"There's a big push on now to get McGreevey out sooner rather than later," the administration source said.
McGreevey's lawyer triggered the FBI probe by claiming the aide tried to blackmail the governor, first by demanding $50 million to avoid a sexual harassment lawsuit, then asking for the governor's help in developing a private medical college, according to sources close to McGreevey.
The FBI plans to investigate every aspect of McGreevey's relationship with that aide, a law enforcement source speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press Sunday.
Sources close to McGreevey have identified former aide Golan Cipel as the unnamed man with whom the governor acknowledged having an affair.
The administration source said one damaging piece of information involves a February 2002 trip to Cape May during which the governor broke his leg. Although McGreevey has repeatedly said he had been on the beach with his wife at the time, the source said he was with Cipel.
McGreevey spokeswoman Kathy Ellis called the allegation "ugly rumors that are categorically untrue."
State Sen. Raymond Lesniak, one of the governor's closest advisers, said the governor will not leave before his announced date and denounced Democrats calling for him to step aside.
"McGreevey's not going anywhere," Lesniak said. "What they're doing is they're picking at his political carcass, and I think it's disgusting."
Ellis said the governor is not granting interviews.
Cipel met McGreevey in 2000 during a trip to Israel and then worked on the governor's 2001 campaign. He became McGreevey's hand-picked homeland security adviser with a $110,000 annual salary but was unable to get federal security clearances because he was not a U.S. citizen.
McGreevey eventually moved Cipel out of that job but kept him on the payroll as an adviser.
An attendant at Cipel's New York apartment said Cipel was not at home Sunday and refused to take a message for him. Allen Lowy, one of Cipel's attorneys, did not return repeated calls from The Associated Press.
In an interview published Sunday by the Israeli daily newspaper Yediot Ahronot, Cipel maintained that he is not gay and said McGreevey repeatedly made unwanted sexual advances.
And here I thought denial was only a river in Egypt...fun fun