Ex-Aide: NJ Gov. Harassed Me

Gov. James E. McGreevey began suffering fallout from his bombshell resignation announcement Friday as his former homeland security adviser accused the governor of sexual harassment and Republican leaders called on him to leave office immediately.

"While employed by one of the most powerful politicians in the country, New Jersey Governor McGreevey, I was the victim of repeated sexual advances by him," Golan Cipel said in a

McGreevey announced his resignation Thursday in a dramatic, nationally televised news conference in which he revealed he had an affair with another man. His spokesman, Micah Rasmussen, vehemently denied the accusations, calling them "completely and totally false allegations from a person trying to exploit his relationship with the governor. The matter has been referred to federal authorities for investigation."

McGreevey did not name the man in his news conference, but two sources close to the governor, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was Cipel. One of the sources, a high-ranking member of the McGreevey administration, said Cipel threatened McGreevey with a sexual harassment lawsuit unless he was paid millions of dollars.

McGreevey named Cipel as New Jersey's $110,000-a-year director of homeland security in 2002. But Cipel was transferred to a different position later that year after a storm of opposition from lawmakers who questioned his qualifications and later left state government.

Cipel, a poet and former lieutenant in the Israeli Navy, landed the job despite having no security experience, and he raised concerns among government agents who reportedly refused to share information with him because was a foreigner with no security clearance.

The saga took another strange turn Friday as Cipel alleged "intimidation" by McGreevey representatives cowed him into keeping quiet about the affair until now. Cipel attorney Allen M. Lowy said his client was offered money by representatives of McGreevey after the governor was informed of a possible lawsuit. He said "only time will tell" whether a lawsuit against McGreevey is filed.

"After a long period of pain and introspection, I realized that in order to live my life, to move forward with my life, I needed to put this behind me. But the only way to do this was to have Gov. McGreevey take responsibility publicly for his horrible actions, which he did by resigning from public office," Cipel said.

The developments occurred as Republican leaders called on McGreevey to leave office immediately, saying that news of the affair is likely to be first of many damaging disclosures.

CBS News Correspondent Randall Pinkston spoke with veteran New Jersey political watcher MIKE KELLY, political columnist with the Bergen Record. Kelly expects

"I don't think we've seen the end of this story yet. Being gay or having an affair in this country is not enough to drive elected officials from office,'' said Kelly.

"What role did McGreevey or the Democrats have in ensuring this guy (Cipel) had a cushy job after he left state government. Aand were those jobs, those highly-paid jobs somehow predicated on the fact that he would keep silent?" Kelly said

"It is my suspicion that there will be more awkward stories in the days and weeks to come — stories that will make it very difficult for him to carry out the duties of his office," said state Republican Chairman Joe Kyrillos.

Had McGreevey stepped down immediately, a special election would be have been held to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2006. The decision to leave office in November allows Democratic Senate President Richard J. Codey to finish the term.

Democrats said GOP leaders were unfairly trying to capitalize on what was McGreevey's personal decision.

"This is the time for the people's business, not for partisan politics," Codey said.

Republican lawyers said they were considering legal options that would force McGreevey to resign earlier, but added that pursuing impeachment was not one of them.

McGreevey's resignation brings an end to a political career that has been marked by a series of scandals and missteps, including the Cipel appointment.

McGreevey was introduced to Cipel at a reception during a trip to Israel in 2000 when he was running for governor. The married American politician and the young Israeli poet were introduced at a wine-and-cheese reception and hit it off immediately, according to an Israeli mayor who introduced the two.

Soon, McGreevey paved the way for Cipel to come to the United States. Six months later, Cipel was working on McGreevey's campaign, having obtained a visa in which he listed McGreevey donor Charles Kushner as a sponsor on his visa application and then taking up residence in an apartment less than a mile from McGreevey.

Working first in a $30,000-a-year job public relations job arranged by Kushner, Cipel was named to head the state Office of Homeland Security in February 2002.

McGreevey said he did not think a background check was necessary for Cipel, who had also worked as a public relations officer in the Israeli consulate in New York.

"Golan is smart, incisive, hard-working and trustworthy, and he has brought a unique point of view to the work he does," McGreevey said at the time.

But nagging questions about his qualifications and the reason for his appointment trailed Cipel, who was told by McGreevey not to grant media interviews in the meantime.

Asked by reporters on several occasions if he was gay or had a romantic relationship with Cipel, McGreevey would never answer directly, dismissing the suggestion as "ridiculous."

The heat was turned up after the Star-Ledger of Newark reported that the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI had both refused to share information with Cipel because of his lack of security clearance.

Buckling to pressure, McGreevey reassigned him as a "special counsel" in the governor's office. He left state government five months later and landed a public relations job with McGreevey's help before fading from public view.

"The rumor mill, even back then, was rampant with rumors about some relationship with him and the governor, but that wasn't our issue," said GOP Assemblyman Paul DiGaetano.

"The issue was here's a guy being put forward for one of the most sensitive positions in the state, with little or no experience, little or no credentials. The whole activity was very suspicious," said DiGaetano, who has filed to run for governor next year.