In New Jersey, gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill states that she is uncertain what releasing her military disciplinary records would entail, expressing confusion over the specific files being sought.
The North Jersey congresswoman has received increasing calls for transparency, particularly from her opponent Jack Ciattarelli, who urges her to disclose her military documents in order to provide clarity regarding her involvement in the 1992 Naval Academy cheating scandal.
“I’m not even sure what that would entail,” the congresswoman told the editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer during a recent meeting.
“It was a major incident at the academy, which resulted in numerous files and countless interviews,” she elaborated.
Recently, it was revealed that Sherrill was prohibited from participating in her class’s commencement ceremony at the Naval Academy in 1994 due to her involvement in the cheating scandal.
Sherrill has suggested that her exclusion from graduation was because she “didn’t report on some of my peers,” yet she has since altered her narrative.
For instance, when questioned about how investigators were aware she failed to report peers, Sherrill explained that after engaging with investigators, “I shared what I knew.”
Some of her Naval Academy classmates have speculated that there may be additional complexities to her situation, including potential further disciplinary actions related to the scandal.
During her interview with the Inquirer, Sherrill maintained her decision against releasing the records, accusing Ciattarelli of conducting a “witch hunt” through military documentation.
“I’m in no way going to assist him in this endeavor when he has already shown a propensity for misusing files and releasing unredacted military information,” she remarked to the publication.
This statement refers to a CBS report revealing a Ciattarelli associate’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the National Archives and Records Administration for her military records.
The records released by the National Archives allegedly included sensitive information like her Social Security number, which should have been redacted. A watchdog group is currently investigating this incident.
Sherrill was also ready to address inquiries about her legislative priorities—a topic that previously caught her off guard in a May interview and led to a muddled answer that became an unfavorable advertisement for Ciattarelli.
“I am committed to developing the state’s energy plan,” Sherrill stated to the Inquirer with confidence, outlining a detailed approach to work with the state legislature to address rising energy costs.
