Golan Cipel
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Golan Cipel (pronounced "Tzi-pel") (born circa 1969) is an Israeli citizen who was hired by New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey as Homeland Security Advisor on 15 January 2002 at the salary of $110,000. He is best known for allegedly having had a sexual relationship with Governor McGreevey, who at the time was married and not open about his homosexuality, then later suing his former boss, bringing the governor's personal life into the spotlight.
Background
McGreevey met Cipel during a trip to Israel in 2000. Cipel later moved to New Jersey in order to provide outreach to the Jewish community on behalf of McGreevey's gubernatorial campaign.Both his appointment as homeland security advisor and his subsequent career were controversial. Investigations by the news media into Cipel's history revealed few notable qualifications related to intelligence or security. Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation would not grant him the necessary security clearances for the job because he was a foreign national. He was retained on the government payroll as a "counselor" at the same salary and with undefined job responsibilities. Documents show that he helped plan foreign trips for the governor, and that he continued his liaison role with the Jewish community. He ultimately resigned in August 2002, taking a position at the Trenton lobbying firm State Street Partners.
Reports that Cipel would file a sexual harassment suit against McGreevey in Mercer County Court led to McGreevey's decision to out himself as "a gay American" on August 12, 2004, and announce that he had engaged in an adulterous relationship with Cipel and would be resigning as governor.
Also on August 12, Internet news editor Matt Drudge reported that the governor's office had called the Federal Bureau of Investigation, stating that Cipel had sought $5 million in exchange for dropping the suit. Instead, Cipel dropped the suit immediately after McGreevey resigned, stating that justice had been served.
Cipel's version
In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz (August 19, 2004), Cipel stated that his situation was intentionally misrepresented by the governor's office and affirmed that he had never actually been responsible for internal security under the governor.According to Cipel, the press had distorted his history, transforming him from a naval officer into a "sailor", and from someone who had self-published a book of poetry at age sixteen into a "poet." He claims such distortions supported the "gay" story that McGreevey allegedly created and the press eagerly covered.
In his own words, Cipel claims he was in fact one of many unwilling victims of McGreevey's sexual harassment, that he had "no romantic affair" with the governor, but rather was taken advantage of.
Additional allegations
On August 19, 2004, in an interview with CBS, Michael David Miller of Livingston, New Jersey alleged that he had been sexually involved with Cipel. The following day, Miller was arrested for falsely telling police that he was a CIA operative and that the satellite dish on his house was used for CIA communications. The doctor was also accused of calling the police and the Essex County courts, to warn them a former tenant would blow up the Essex County Courthouse.Cipel denies ever having been involved with Miller, or any man.
See also: Charles Kushner
Sources
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