I'm Gay, & I Quit, Says NJ Gov.

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"Shamefully, I engaged in adult consensual affairs with another man, which violates my bonds of matrimony," said the married father of two. "It was wrong, it was foolish, it was inexcusable."

The Democrat said his resignation will be effective Nov. 15. Senate President Richard J. Codey, a Democrat, will become acting governor and serve out the remainder of McGreevey's term, which ends in early 2006.

McGreevey, 47, refused to answer questions at a news conference where he was flanked by his wife and parents. "It makes little difference that as governor I am gay," he said, adding that staying in office and keeping the affair and his sexual orientation secret would leave the governor's office "vulnerable to rumors, false allegations and threats of disclosure."

"Given the circumstances surrounding the affair and its likely impact upon my family and my ability to govern, I have decided the right course of action is to resign," he said.

He did not elaborate on what the circumstances were.

The New York Times quotes aides to the governor as saying the affair was with a former employee, Golan Cipel, 35, who was threatening to file a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Cipel was first hired two years ago as an adviser to the state Office of Homeland Security, and later became a special adviser to the governor, reportedly earning a salary of $110,000 a year until leaving the job eight months ago.

According to a law enforcement official quoted by the Times, McGreevey's office contacted the FBI Thursday and lodged a complaint alleging that Cipel asked for $5 million to drop the lawsuit - a demand the governor's aides viewed as extortion.

A source told The Associated Press that it was Wednesday night when cabinet members and administration officials first learned of an alleged threat.

Rumors had been circulating for several years that McGreevey was gay, reaching the level of open hints on New Jersey talk radio shows.

In an announcement that at times was introspective, McGreevey referred to the struggles he has experienced with his sexuality since childhood.

"Throughout my life, I have grappled with my own identity, who I am," he said. "As a young child, I often felt ambivalent about myself, in fact, confused."

McGreevey spokesman Micah Rasmussen declined to answer any questions about the future of McGreevey's marriage.

"My heart goes out to Jim McGreevey and his family during this difficult personal time," Codey said. "Jim McGreevey is a good person and good friend and today's events sadden me."

McGreevey rose from suburban mayor to state chief executive by his tenacious pursuit of party politics, maintaining a power base days after he narrowly lost to Republican Christie Whitman in 1997.

McGreevey never truly stopped that campaign until he won in November 2001, beating Republican Bret Schundler by 15 percentage points.

Despite inheriting a $5 billion budget deficit, he steadfastly refused to boost income taxes for most New Jerseyans. He instead raised taxes on millionaires, casinos and cigarettes.

McGreevey has opposed

A number of McGreevey associates have been dogged by scandals involving fund-raising.

Among those caught up in recent scandals were his first chief of staff and former counsel; a top Democratic fund-raiser and former high school classmate; and real estate developer Charles Kushner, McGreevey's biggest campaign contributor, who was charged with trying to thwart a federal campaign-finance investigation by luring a grand jury witness - his own brother-in-law - into a compromising position with a prostitute and sending video and photos to the man's wife.

McGreevey is the second governor to announce his resignation in recent weeks, following the resignation in June of Connecticut GOP Gov. John Rowland amid corruption investigations and threats of impeachment.

Born in Jersey City, McGreevey graduated from Columbia University in 1978. He earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1981 and a master's degree in education from Harvard University a year later.

After briefly serving as a county prosecutor, McGreevey became a lobbyist for a pharmaceutical company, then a state government official. While in the Legislature, McGreevey voted for Gov. Jim Florio's $2.8 billion tax hike that prompted a voter rebellion against Democrats.

New Jerseyans were left slack-jawed by the governor's bombshell. Some watched it live on television. Some heard it on radio. Some just couldn't believe their ears.

"Get out of here," Jim Nerney, 48, said when told the news by an Associated Press reporter at a parkway rest stop. Convinced it was true, he shook his head.

"It's a shame," said Nerney. "He brought a lot of passion to the governor's office, but the fact is that it's not accepted in today's society, and he's paying the consequences."

Some applauded McGreevey's resolve. Others said he should have agreed to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in early 2006.

But at least one powerful Republican is suggesting that November 15 is too long to wait for McGreevey to leave office.

The New York Times reports GOP State Committee chairman and State Senator Joseph Kyrillos Jr. says McGreevey should leave now, because "he can no longer effectively govern the state."

The timing of McGreevey's exit from the governor's office does have an impact on the balance of power in the Garden State.

If he were to leave before September 2nd, it would still be possible for a special election to be held to fill the seat - instead of having Codey, a Democrat and ally of McGreevey's, stepping in as is now expected.