New Jersey’s Travel & Tourism division confirmed Friday that it will pull television ads featuring Gov. James McGreevey and his family.
The governor, who resigned Thursday after two years in office, stated that he is a “gay American” and that he had an extramarital affair with another man.
McGreevey, along with his second wife and their two-year-old daughter, was the focal point of ads showing the Garden State as a place for families to vacation.
Mary Caffrey, a spokesperson for the state’s Commerce & Economic Growth Commission, said the summer TV ad campaign was to wrap up in a few weeks. Despite the controversy, a fall campaign featuring only McGreevey is under development but no decisions have been made whether they will air.
She added that most of the state’s welcome center-type summer promotional materials and direct mail pieces featuring the McGreevey family had already been distributed to consumers.
Caffrey said that the state’s governors traditionally appear in collateral to promote its tourism, and that the complimentary use of the governor frees up more money for its ad buy.
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