McGreevey's ex offers to drop claim if he pays up

A lawyer for former Gov. James McGreevey's ex-wife said Thursday she will drop a charge that she was duped into marrying him if he agrees to pay her $109,000 a judge says he owes.

Dina Matos' lawyer John Post said the fraud claim filed by his client will be dropped if McGreevey makes full payment and agrees not to appeal the judge's divorce ruling.

That drew an immediate rebuke from McGreevey lawyer Steve Haller, who said, "we will appeal or not appeal at our own discretion."

A private meeting with the judge in the case is scheduled for Monday.

Matos has claimed that McGreevey, who resigned from office in 2004 after declaring himself "a gay American," duped her into marriage because he needed the cover of a heterosexual relationship to advance his political career.

Union County Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy granted the McGreeveys' divorce last month, denying her alimony but ruling that she is entitled to a portion of their joint assets totaling $109,000.

The judge did not rule on the fraud claim, which was filed separately. However, she did determine that Matos was not entitled to compensation for time in the governor's mansion that was cut short by her husband's resignation.

"Dina wants an end to the litigation between these parties," Post said. "If Jim abides by the judge's ruling, it will be over with."

The McGreeveys' bitter parting was evidenced during a messy four-week divorce trial in which she portrayed him as purposefully underemployed to avoid paying alimony and he portrayed her as a connoisseur of high-end clothing and other items that were well beyond her means.

The McGreeveys' marriage publicly unraveled when he acknowledged an affair with a male staffer; the staffer denied the affair and said he was sexually harassed by the governor.

The divorce trial was held this spring after the couple failed to come to terms on alimony, child support and other financial matters. They agreed to share custody of their daughter.