GOP Wants Gov. to Step Down Now

New Jersey Republican leaders want Gov. James McGreevey to resign immediately after he acknowledged on Thursday that he an affair with another man. Reporters remain camped in Trenton to see if that man will file a suit against McGreevey today.

Republican State Committee chairman Joe Kyrillos told reporters McGreevey should "do the right thing and quit now, instead on of Nov. 15.

Kyrillos said rumors about the affair and his "suspicion that there will be more awkward stories" prompted his decision.

"His decision is bigger than Jim McGreevey. It transcends one person, one governor. It's a much bigger issue. This is something that impacts everyone in the state of New Jersey," said Joe Kyrillos, chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee.

The Republicans made their statement on the steps of the Mercer County Courthouse, where reporters are waiting to see if a sexual harassment lawsuit will be filed against McGreevey.

Sources tell NBC 10 that a man who allegedly had an affair with McGreevey asked for several million dollars in exchange for dropping a lawsuit.

On Thursday, McGreevey stunned reporters and voters by announcing he was gay, had an affair with a man and was quitting as governor on Nov. 15.

Two sources close to McGreevey told NBC 10 that the man allegedly involved in the affair is Golan Cipel (pictured, left).

Cipel, 33, had been appointed briefly to a homeland security post in the McGreevey administration even though he had no previous security experience.

Two highly placed sources said McGreevey was threatened with a lawsuit unless he paid millions of dollars to Cipel. (Cipel could not be reached for comment by NBC 10.)

Cipel is an Israeli citizen that McGreevey has been quoted as saying he met him on a trip to Israel in 2000.

In February 2002, just after the governor took office, Cipel was hired as New Jersey's Homeland Security Adviser, making $110,000 a year.

The next month, Cipel was reassigned after reporters and others questioned his lack of qualifications and it became clear Cipel was ineligible for federal security clearance.

But Cipel stayed on the payroll as counselor to McGreevey until August 2002, when Cipel resigned from the McGreevey administration.

There are also reports that federal investigators are looking into whether Cipel tried to extort money from the governor.

For the full text of the Governor's press conference and announcement of Thursday, August 12, click here.

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