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May 16, 2008
Posted: 10:07 AM ET

ELIZABETH, New Jersey – For a second day, former New Jersey governor James McGreevey took the stand Thursday in his own divorce trial. Throughout his cross-examination – as he had previously during his direct testimony – McGreevey claimed that his current assets and future prospects will not enable him to pay substantial alimony and child support to his estranged wife, Dina Matos McGreevey. Then, later in the day, the Court heard from an expert witness who bolstered Mr. McGreevey’s contention that his future prospects are surprisingly limited.

According to James McGreevey, making money has never been one of his goals. But during his years as governor, McGreevey and his estranged wife enjoyed a lifestyle that few civilians share. Following his resignation – triggered by the disclosure that McGreevey had appointed a man with whom he’d had a sexual relationship to a lucrative state position – McGreevey has worked primarily at jobs that he claims he received only through the kindness of friends and former associates.

Donna Kolsky, a vocational employability specialist, supported McGreevey’s contention that his employment prospects are severely limited. Last fall, she completed a report that finds the ex-governor’s lack of experience in any field other than public service – along with his notoriety – have sharply curtailed his future earnings.

–In Session staff

Filed under: McGreevey divorce trial • Trials


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j bockin   May 16th, 2008 10:23 am ET

of course this man will get a job…. everyone is talking about her expressions (face) .. this man cheated on his wife….
remember time forgets… he will get a job … he definitely should pay her alimony….

Teresa Whitaker   May 16th, 2008 10:37 am ET

I dissagree with James Mcgreevy’s sob story of this hurting his reputation, with the california vote yesterday to allow same sex marriages and homosexuality becoming a celebritity status, I feel he will ride this all the way to the bank. book deal’s, movie right’s, talk show’s.He will make more money now than ever before. It is a sad situation

Mary   May 16th, 2008 11:58 am ET

Naveed Haq

If Naveed Haq was bipolar in 1996 then why on earth was’nt he put on medicines right away? Also why did’nt someone see this coming with all the help everyone was seeking for him. I truly feel sorry for him and his victims. He does’nt need a mental hospital, he needs some one to monitor him for a year or so. Haq had choices and he choose the wrong path. If his parents were worried they should of got him to a doctor right away and demanded help for him.
Who is paying the medical bills for the 5 victims and the funeral cost of the dead woman
Insurance only goes so far. I believe Haq’s family needs to get their act together and help in all ways possible.There should be compsation for the families, or start a college fund for the kids. this is my opinion.

Tracey   May 16th, 2008 12:28 pm ET

Mr. McGreevey is the ultimate con artist and he continues to con everyone, judge, audience, etc. He has spent his entire life deceiving everyone and is still doing just that. He has committed fraud, and only in the face of criminal and policitical consequences he resigned as governor. Hiring someone to do a job as Homeland Security Advisor who had no credentials attributable to that position is fraud on the pople of New Jersey. He sits in this court and uses his charisma to move the light away from his continued attempts to now de-fraud his wife and child. He lied to her, he abused her trust, he caused her reputation to be besmerched, he needs to pay her alimony and more.
Mrs. McGreevey is unable to disguise her emotions and con everyone around her, she’s not spent her life deceiving those close and beyond. Her emotions of anger and pain are genuine and hard to disguise. She has my empathy.
Tracey

Dee   May 16th, 2008 12:44 pm ET

McGreevey appears to be basically just another deadbeat dad – a very smooth and sophisticated deadbeat dad, but nontheless, just another deadbeat dad. He’s couching himself in public service and the Episcopal priesthood in order to avoid responsibility for the support of not one, but two children he has fathered.

Dina McGreevey deserves credit for having the guts and wherewithall to stand up to the chicanery being foisted on the court. I think she’s more out to legally protect her child’s future than to “punish” her ex-husband. I wish her good luck and hope she prevails.

Bonnie Lyons Salkind   May 16th, 2008 12:52 pm ET

No jobs are forever in the private sector….and in the public sector McGreevey may not have been re-elected…so why does Dina think she should have continuing rights and status based on a job of her spouse’s that may not have continued due to non-election, resignation, end of term, elimination of job or other normal reasons including being fired….There is no guarantee (other than tenured teachers!!) for job security.

Bonnie Lyons Salkind
East Hampton, NY

**************

Lisa   May 16th, 2008 12:54 pm ET

Dina Matos McGreevey is just looking to make a quick buck. She is not the only woman in America that has had this happen to her. She just wants this money beacuse she had been made a fool of. You make more money that he does. Her conduct in the courtroom appears to me that she thinks this is a joke. Look honey, get over it. You are only bringing more humiliation to yourself by going through a trial.

gloria g. Walls   May 16th, 2008 1:23 pm ET

How do you say dead beat dad!!!!! It would be nice to do what one would love to do, not make money and meet obligations that are required! And have a sugar (daddy) take card of your every need. Something isn’t right here.

laurie   May 16th, 2008 7:26 pm ET

shame on him……talk about adding insult to injury !!

ed murtha   May 16th, 2008 9:52 pm ET

Mr. McGreevey is a great actor..each step in his career was planned, he talks about governing well but then loads his staff with cronies…a guy who was a governor can find some work, maybe not what he wants…amazing

newman   May 17th, 2008 12:11 am ET

Put the kids first. You’ve got kids so you have to work to support them whether you want to or not. You gave up $70,000 in income. The question is not what kind of job do you want to do. Also, most people do not buy six suits at a time. You are not living a “Humble” lifestyle. Oh, and you badmouth your state with the comment that the beach house was just flies. I have no sympathy for you, not much for your wive either, but very much for your children.

Mike_CPO_USN   May 17th, 2008 2:34 pm ET

As a NJ resident, I have been watching this court drama un-fold, and though I completely dis-agree with Ex-Gov’s lifestyle, this is getting out of hand. The wife is simply bitter and via her snake of a lawyer is trying her most to not only needlessly stick it to her soon to be Ex, but also being very shallow. For the children’s sake you would think that she could get past her public embarassment and at a minimum come up with a “reasonable” solution so that not only her and her soon to be Ex go on with their own lives but the kids will be able to have some what of a peaceful childhood. These bitter fights between couples seeking divorce don’t need to end poorly for everyone. Dina needs to show her kids how adults solve problems with compassion, humility, and understanding. Good luck to both parties in their future lives, just keep the kids in mind!

Nelson   May 17th, 2008 10:38 pm ET

Sure I would say that his earning potential is somewhat limited. Give him a break – why not everyone gets them.

j blessings   May 18th, 2008 5:07 pm ET

mcgreedy, as we new jersians call him, can go pump gas, or flip burgers, or do something to make a normal living. he doesn’t have to live rich. neither does she. all the money that’s left should go in trust for the kid. the way this state is going, in large part thanks to her daddy, she’ll need every penny just to go to a state-run college!!!! mcgreedy and mrs mcgreedy should learn to live like the rest of us. their lifestyle was and is excessive.

Abdul   May 18th, 2008 5:48 pm ET

It is really a painful future for mr.mcgreeve

kathy   May 19th, 2008 10:07 am ET

No one seems to realize that the former governer gave a very good polititians answer to the question he was asked, about if he knew if there was anyone that was interesed in hiring him. He gave answers about everything but . Please look back , now i can believe how he decievd her.

Esprit64   May 19th, 2008 10:19 am ET

Jim McGreevey, PLEASE! I am so outraged by his behavior, part of which he now wants to put behind him for everyone’s good?

When is McGreeveny going to pay back the taxpayer money he gave to his boy toys for staff positions they absolutely were not qualified to work?

When? I want my money back. Since I consider McGreevey’s actions fraud, why isn’t the NJAG prosecuting him for crimes committed against the state? Enough of this garbage! I want my money back.

Jane Ross   May 19th, 2008 11:19 am ET

Mrs. McGreevey is overreaching badly. It’s ridiculous to base a claim of fraud when we’ll never know for sure what she knew or suspected. The marriage didn’t last all that long. Mr. McGreevey should, of course, pay child support, but substantial alimony is not warranted. She seems to be asking to be supported in an extraordinary lifestyle–that of the governor’s wife–and she can suport herself. Her “mugging” in court is also very annoying.

maria   May 19th, 2008 11:27 am ET

I think that Jim Mcgreevey needs to pay his children child support.. He is getting off to easy because of who he is..On the other hand, if it was an oridinary american man he would be haunted down for his child support! In my opinion, I believe that Dina Matos did not know that he was a Gay American!

Teresa   May 19th, 2008 11:42 am ET

Boo hoo for James…. Mickey D’s is always hiring. You want to be the one to tell your child you can’t give her any money?

Ummmm, if he needs some job prospects, he should go on the talk circuit and tell about his difficulties living as a hetero and being homosexual. Surely, people will pay him for that. This guy ( ? ) should be ashamed of his pathetic self. He has no self respect.

Dee   May 19th, 2008 12:13 pm ET

I don’t know what more she wants. I’m a single mom too…however, if Jim had been killed in a car accident during his term, she would had to give all that up anyhow. What difference does it make? He doesn’t have it and even if he had it, she should only be entitled to have whne they were married not now.

She is currently making more money than he is!! isn’t this being a bit greedy???

Suzanne, michigan   May 19th, 2008 12:39 pm ET

I really can not believe this Mc Greevey case. It seems to be the hight of greedyness. Who is paying attorneys fees while this couple sit in court, not earning an income, arguing over money that doesn’t exist. I am a single mom trying to raise 4 kids on $800 a month. This woman should consider herself lucky to get that amount for her daughter and move on to live in the REAL world.

William G. Jochimsen   May 19th, 2008 3:01 pm ET

For those who don’t like Mrs. McGreevy’s facial expression I can’t think of a more insulting hateful thing than to tell your wife of several years that you’d rather have sexual relations with a man. And then just days later parade her out infront of a crowd of reporters and state: I am a gay American. She deserves more than he can ever come up with. Every penny he ever earns, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Mary   May 19th, 2008 5:11 pm ET

She always keeps it intresting, but could Ms Banfield
refrain from using the name “GOD” in vein?
She might try substituting it with “chair”
Please do not post theis comment.

Audrey Ross   May 19th, 2008 5:16 pm ET

I Really enjoyed your article concerning the polagamy case and the Mcgreevey case .They are very similar and in order for people to get along they need to accept each other.

Connie Fillippelli   May 20th, 2008 2:45 pm ET

I have known three men in the past that hid the money they had so their ex’s could not get any. This guy is thinking about himself and not about two children he has brought into this world. He is scum. It is all a scam because if he wanted to remain so pure and poor he would not have an education from such prestigious schools. And while he is leading a multimillionaire lifestyle with his boyfriend his children are doomed to a life of struggle. While he dines in the finest restaurants his children dine at McDonalds. While he shops at Macy’s his children must shop at Walmart. No, this is a selfish man who is willing to maintain his lifestyle on the backs of his children. Nice guy. And I am not fooled by his sweet, calm, sensible demeanor. He’s a phoney! Reverend McGreevey, what would Jesus do?

Connie Fillippelli   May 20th, 2008 2:49 pm ET

Also, there is one thing I know about the famous. Whatever they do that is bad is forgiven eventually. The public has a short memory.

suzan   May 22nd, 2008 7:53 pm ET

aloha- as for the former governor for the state of new jersey that he is agay men and he say he did told to his second wife dina matos greevey that he was gay what is wrong w/ these people that we put them in office?jim hvae 2 kids and he putting his 2 kids in the middle of his mess right now.i fill sorry to his kids that who right now.as for dina what her ex-husbna dmoney that will never happending at all. she thinks she can get his money now that she did write a book too. and this is where dina will have to tell her side on the witnesses stand what her real side why she wants his money.

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