June 3, 2010 10:35 AM

Gay Ex-Governor Owes Wife No Alimony

(AP)  Former Gov. James E. McGreevey will not have to pay alimony to his ex-wife, a judge ruled Friday in granting the couple a divorce after a tumultuous eight-year marriage that crumbled publicly when McGreevey acknowledged he was a "gay American."

A superior court judge ruled that McGreevey, the nation's first openly gay governor, must pay $250 a week, or $1,075 a month, in child support for his 6-year-old daughter with Dina Matos.

Matos had asked for $2,500 a month alimony for four years and $1,750 a month in child support. The couple share custody of the girl.

McGreevey, now a seminary student, testified during the couple's contentious divorce trial that he's too poor to pay alimony.

The couple formally separated in February 2005 after McGreevey resigned in 2004, acknowledging that he is "a gay American" who had an affair with a male staffer. The staffer denied the affair and said he was sexually harassed by the governor.

In her written ruling, Union County Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy lamented the anger and animosity she witnessed during the couple's divorce trial.

"Especially, in a matter as high profile as this, the court was disappointed that much of the testimony, particularly as it related to public figures within the State of New Jersey, and the dirty laundry associated therewith, needed to be aired in the public and in the press," Cassidy wrote.

"The McGreeveys clearly had agendas. As previously addressed, their anger seemed to override any ability to testify credibly or to be reasonable."

Cassidy ruled that Matos is not entitled to assets from McGreevey's tell-all book, "The Confession." But in dividing their marital assets, Cassidy ruled McGreevey owes Matos $109,000, representing half their various bank and investment holdings.

The judge rejected Matos' claims that her ex-husband should compensate her for the 13 months she missed out on the lifestyle perks of the governor's office. Cassidy also rejected claims that McGreevey was purposefully underemployed so that he didn't have to pay alimony.

The judge noted that McGreevey was able to rely on his rich boyfriend to provide for him.

"Mr. McGreevey is not seeking employment because he does not need it to sustain himself," she wrote.

Neither McGreevey nor his ex-wife commented after the ruling was posted online.

"No alimony — that's what I'm talking about," McGreevey lawyer Stephen Haller said after scanning the opinion. "It's hard to imagine a more favorable ruling for Jim McGreevey's position."

Matos issued a statement before the ruling decrying the pain and suffering she and her family have endured throughout the separation and divorce.

"Although the victimization continues, I am stronger for the experience," she said.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 32 Comments
by minnick8-2009 August 11, 2008 1:33 AM EDT
I too question how she could not know he was bisexual before they married ?

Posted by patriot12436

Because women who think they are in love don''t think clearly. Look at all the men who are able to cheat on wives and lovers with lies, manipulation, and shenigans. It happens all the time. If you stop to think about it, if women were thinking clearly at the time of "falling in love," no woman would ever go through with marriage or a love affair. In twenty years, time, there would be no new people on the earth. In eighty years time, most of the population of the earth would be gone. It is obvious that there is a biological need for women not to think clearly.
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by minnick8-2009 August 11, 2008 1:28 AM EDT
Why can''''t the media leave this poor man alone ?

Posted by colonieNy

Ah, the poor man, why should the media leave him alone? If he wanted a gay life, he should have been honest up front and never gotten married. When our society is ready to accept openly gay people into high offices in politics, then he can run for governor. If that doesn''t happen, then he can make widgets in a factory. Who the h e l l cares what he does instead?
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by minnick8-2009 August 11, 2008 1:25 AM EDT
Why should he owe her any support ? Can''''t she work ? And why would she even think she was "cheated" out of $ for not being in the Gov house ? That is why men should not get married... vaginamony,

Posted by colonieNY

We will all hope and pray that you don''t get married and spare some poor woman your gender bias.

McGreevy should pay his ex wife because McGreevy knew he was gay and no doubt got married to create a facade being straight to forge his path to the governor''s mansion. The ex Mrs. McGreevy was cheated because when she married him she expected that they would be a loving couple, that she would have a partner in life, that he would be her husband, best friend, and devoted in a committed relationship.

His vows were a lie, he was only committed to his own sexuality and his gay life outside of their marriage. Why shouldn''t she receive compensation for eight years of that kind of hell. The fact that McGreevy isn''t working because he dosesn''t need to support himself is as totally narcissistic as John Edwards recent confession of his liason.

A decent judge would have told McGreevy to get off his ***, get a job and recompense the ex for her eight years of the inconvenience of having devoted those years to him.

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by colonieny August 10, 2008 9:35 PM EDT
Why can''t the media leave this poor man alone ?
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by gaye5 August 10, 2008 10:46 AM EDT
Well, McGreevey certainly meets the clergy''''s requirements.
Posted by Winslowe1

Yes, but not the Bibles...
In Romans 1:26-27 Paul is very specific, %u201CFor this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.%u201D
18:22 %u201CDo not lie with a man as with a woman; that is detestable.%u201D -Leviticus 18:22... etc
God couldnt have found it detestiable because he knew that it would destroy their lives could he...It couldn''t possibly have anything to do with the fact that disease is the bedfellow of homoserxuality.. Then bisexuals spread disease in both directions, but if there is *** outside marriage what else can we expect.

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by patriot12436 August 10, 2008 8:10 AM EDT
I too question how she could not know he was bisexual before they married ?
Reply to this comment
by patriot12436 August 10, 2008 8:08 AM EDT
Loraine Bobbits ex husband got in trouble for beating up his girlfriend after he was divorced, then made some porn films, then became an ordained minister. Haven''t heard anything about him since he became ordained.
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by patriot12436 August 10, 2008 8:05 AM EDT
carats100
Would you want to hire someone like him ?
Reply to this comment
by patriot12436 August 10, 2008 8:03 AM EDT
It seems to me maybe she ticked off the judge. She should be happy he didn''t ask for spousal support since he is now unemployed.
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by barbaram99 August 9, 2008 11:12 PM EDT
The Queen of UK is the SAY of the Church of England. The American one The Queen is SAY of.
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