New Jersey Democrat gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill, is facing renewed questions about her role in a 1990s U.S. Naval Academy cheating scandal, with former classmates disputing her shifting explanations, according to New York Post reporting.
Brent Sadler, a 1994 Naval Academy graduate and senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told the Post he doubts Sherrill's latest account. "I don't buy it, and I'm kind of speaking on behalf of actually a lot of classmates that reached out to me," Sadler said.
Last month, Sherrill acknowledged she didn't walk at her class' commencement, saying she was penalized for refusing to report peers involved in the scandal.
"There was a test at the school that was stolen," she said. "I did not realize that it was stolen. I took the test, afterwards, I knew what the rumor mill was. I knew people who were implicated in it. I didn't come forward with that information."
But after her second debate with Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli last week, Sherrill appeared to alter that account. "There were hundreds of people in my class that spoke to investigators. When I did, I told them what I knew," she told reporters.
Her campaign declined to clarify whether she eventually identified classmates during the investigation. The New Jersey Globe, which first reported that Sherrill was barred from walking at graduation, said rumors of her involvement circulated during her 2018 congressional race but were downplayed.
Sherrill has refused to release her full disciplinary record, which could clarify what happened. A source involved in the original academy probe told the Post that the punishment she received likely reflected deeper issues. "There would have to be more," the source said.
Sadler, who wrote an opinion piece questioning Sherrill's explanation, argued that her statements appear inconsistent with the Naval Academy's honor concept, which requires midshipmen to report violations. "Otherwise, you are just as guilty as the party involved," he said, calling her account evasive.
The Post noted that Sherrill remained at Annapolis for 254 days after graduation. Her campaign attributed the delay to waiting for a flight school assignment, but Sadler questioned that explanation, saying such post-graduation holds were usually tied to honor remediation. Sherrill's campaign countered that she was merely on temporary duty.
The 1992 cheating scandal centered on a stolen Electrical Engineering 311 exam, with 88 students found guilty and about two dozen expelled.
Asked directly about whether Sherrill underwent honor remediation, her campaign did not answer, instead attacking Ciattarelli. "Jack Ciattarelli is desperately attempting to smear Mikie Sherrill," said campaign communications director Sean Higgins, alleging Ciattarelli profited from "misinformation about opioids."
Ciattarelli's campaign has since announced plans to sue Sherrill over her debate comments, accusing him of profiting from content that "killed tens of thousands of people."
Ciattarelli's polling surged in September to erase Sherrill's lead of 8 points. That happened around the same time as Sherrill's military records were improperly released by the National Archives.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.