Cipel Won`t File Suit

A former aide who claims New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey sexually harassed him will not file a lawsuit against the governor, the man's lawyer said Monday.

The governor's resignation announcement was sufficient admission of his wrongdoing and the issue was never about money, said lawyer Rachel Yosevitz, attorney for Golan Cipel (left).

McGreevey shocked the nation more than two weeks ago when he declared he is gay and said he had a consensual affair with a man whom he did not name.

Sources close to McGreevey have said the man was Cipel, who was New Jersey's homeland security chief for a brief time.

But Cipel has denied that he was gay or had an affair with McGreevey. Cipel countered that he had been sexually harassed by the governor from the time he went to work for him soon after McGreevey was elected in 2001.

Another Cipel lawyer, Allen Lowy, said that he had notified attorneys for the governor in July that he intended to file a sexual harassment lawsuit against McGreevey (right) on behalf of Cipel.

A series of negotiations between Lowy and McGreevey's attorneys took place over the next several weeks, but no settlement could be reached and the governor eventually made his resignation announcement.

Legal experts said Lowy had until Monday to file a sexual harassment lawsuit because the state statute of limitations for such complaints is two years and Cipel left the state payroll at the end of August 2002.

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