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Trial Begins In Gay Ex-Gov. Divorce
by The Associated Press
Posted: May 13, 2008 - 7:30 am ET
(Elizabeth, New Jersey) Settlement negotiations between
former Gov. James McGreevey and his estranged wife broke down Monday and the two
prepared for trial Tuesday in a divorce case that has spawned tell-all books and a
series of public squabbles.
McGreevey, who is now openly gay, and Dina Matos McGreevey
were at an impasse in settlement talks, court spokeswoman Sandra Thaler-Gerber
said.
"The judge spent the better part of the afternoon
trying to resolve the matter. It does not appear as if it was successful,"
she said.
The McGreeveys left the courthouse separately and prepared
to return Tuesday morning, when testimony was to begin in their divorce trial.
New Jersey's former first couple split in 2004, shortly
after McGreevey resigned from his first term in office following a nationally
televised speech in which he acknowledged being "a gay American" and
said he had an affair with a male staffer. The staffer has denied the affair and
claims he was sexually harassed by McGreevey.
The McGreeveys have been separated for nearly as long as
they were living together, having split when both moved out of the governor's
mansion and into separate homes.
McGreevey, 50, who now lives with a male partner, is
studying at an Episcopal seminary. Matos McGreevey, 41, recently has been seen
on cable television as a guest analyst.
The couple, who have one child, 6-year-old Jacqueline,
reached a deal on the custody portion of their divorce last week. Details remain
sealed by the judge's order.
New Jersey grants child support based on the income and
earning ability of both parents and how much time the child spends with each.
McGreevey currently pays $2,500 a month in unallocated support, meaning amounts
for child support and alimony aren't specified separately.
Besides alimony and child support, Matos McGreevey is
seeking additional money based on her claim of marriage fraud; she says she was
duped into marrying a closeted gay man who needed the cover of a wife to advance
his political career.
©365Gay.com 2008
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