A New Jersey community leader is calling for firsthand witnesses to be heard as an investigation involving Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell continues to draw public attention.
Felicia Simmons, organizer of the 2026 Whitesboro Black History Gala, said in a Sept. 14 statement that she was directly involved in coordinating the April 18 event and had communicated with Caldwell’s office ahead of his attendance.
Simmons’ statement comes after reports that an anonymous letter prompted an inquiry into allegations involving Caldwell, who also serves as New Jersey’s secretary of state. The New York Times reported that the letter alleged Caldwell brought “uninvited female guests” to events and distributed business cards to women he hoped to date. Caldwell has disputed the claims
, calling them “inaccurate, misleading and completely false.”Simmons says the circumstances surrounding the Whitesboro gala warrant input from the people who helped organize it.
“I was one of the people directly involved in coordinating the 2026 Whitesboro Black History Gala,” Simmons wrote in a press release sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. She said she was the contact with the lieutenant governor’s office and received an email notifying her that guests would attend, followed by a call from members of Caldwell’s staff concerning the space required.
“So when I hear the suggestion that Dr. Caldwell simply ‘showed up with guests,’ I believe that characterization deserves to be questioned,” she wrote.
The New York Times reported that Robin Tyson, a longtime acquaintance of Caldwell’s, attended the Whitesboro gala with him and said investigators later interviewed her. Tyson said she and Caldwell do not have a romantic relationship and that he had not offered her employment opportunities.
Simmons identified Rev. Elorm Ocansey, assistant pastor of Transformation International Chapel, and Shirley Green, executive director of the Whitesboro Historical Foundation, as others who were involved in organizing and coordinating the event.
The dispute also underscores how much Simmons values Whitesboro, a his
toric Black community in Cape May County. The Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project describes its work as an effort to preserve the community’s legacy while supporting its future, according to the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project.Simmons said Caldwell’s appearance at the gala was meaningful because of the community’s historical significance.
“Whitesboro represents an important part of New Jersey’s history, a community whose story deserves to be remembered, respected, and brought into the wider public conversation,” she wrote.
Her broader message centers on representation, voting rights, and the importance of including communities historically excluded from political decision-making.
“Let firsthand witnesses be heard,” Simmons wrote. “I was there. I was involved. I know the communications I received and what I witnessed.”
The Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project has since amplified the call for organizers and other firsthand witnesses to be considered as the inquiry proceeds.
Simmons, a lifelong Asbury Park resident and former two-term member of the Asbury Park Board of Education, currently serves as president/executive director of WCC Historic Renovation Association Inc. and is a lead partner in the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project, according to the release.
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