Ex-N.J. Gov. McGreevey Now Teaches Ethics

Former Gov. James E. McGreevey is teaching ethics, law and leadership at Kean University.

The Star-Ledger of Newark reported the nation's first openly gay governor earns $17,500 and has been an executive in residence since Nov. 1.

When he was in office, McGreevey was often criticized for the appearance of ethical lapses.

"It seems to me, Jim McGreevey teaching law and ethics is a little bit like Doctor Kevorkian teaching health maintenance," state Republican chairman Tom Wilson told the newspaper.

McGreevey resigned after announcing in August 2004 that he was "a gay American" who had had an affair with a male staffer.

The male staffer named by McGreevey — Golan Cipel — was hired by the governor in 2002 to a $110,000-a-year homeland security post despite having little experience. Cipel has said he isn't gay and accused McGreevey of sexually harassing him. McGreevey said Cipel tried to blackmail him and that he resigned rather than succumb to threats.

McGreevey was replaced by State Senate President Richard Codey, who is again acting governor following Gov. Jon S. Corzine's auto accident earlier this month. New Jersey does not have a lieutenant governor; voters in 2005 agreed to institute the post, beginning with the next gubernatorial election in 2009.

The Kean job requires McGreevey to work up to 15 hours a week and helps the 49-year-old accrue credits in the state pension system.

McGreevey said everyone is entitled to their own perspective and he didn't pick Kean because of the retirement benefits.

"For a university like us to have the ability of a former governor — for what we pay him — it's an opportunity for our students we shouldn't miss," Kean President Dawood Farahi said.

McGreevey filed for divorce from his wife of seven years, Dina Matos McGreevey, in February. The two have lived apart since November 2004, when McGreevey resigned.

Matos McGreevey, who stood at her husband's side as he told the world he was gay, now lives in Springfield with the couple's 5-year-old daughter, Jacqueline. McGreevey lives in Plainfield with his partner, Australian-born money manager Mark O'Donnell.

[secundus2]

I spent my first 23 years in Elizabeth NJ just miles from Kean and the next 40 in education, I feel immensely sad about such a person as ex-Gov. McGreevy in an ethics classroom. But the reality is that Kean's president hired him as a political favor and a political ploy aiming at favorable treatment for his university. If the political moves of Kean's president backfire, he ought to pay the price. If the moves pay off, everyone will look the other way. Universities, especially public universities, are about funding sources and "ethics" take the hindmost.

[frb01]

Seems to me in the NY/NJ area that they could find another politician with less baggage, or they could hire the former NYS Comptroller who has pensions from three different jobs but wanted taxpayers to pick up more. Seems to me someone like Gov. Pataki, or Gov. Cuomo would be better choices.

[sunderan]

I'm a Democrat, and I also think that what KEAN university is doing is trying to bite its own tail. It's not McGreevey's fault that he is teaching ethics; it is Kean University's fault to even hire him to teach ethics. It's like asking a fox to look after the chickens when the boss goes out.

[perception5]

Can someone tell me WHY Dems when they leave office usually go to either our liberal universities OR to our corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack?
Do any Dems work for a "for profit" company????

[bizzzz-2009]

He teaches ethics? Hilarious. Is how to lie to your family and to the entire state you govern part of the curriculum?