In a jarring development, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a candidate aiming to become New Jersey’s next governor, faces fresh scrutiny over a 1994 cheating scandal at the U.S. Naval Academy that stopped her from participating in her graduation event, as Fox News reports.

This decades-old controversy has reemerged just as a recent poll shows Sherrill now tied with Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli in the gubernatorial contest, after she held a steady advantage in surveys for months.

The roots of this issue stretch back to Sherrill’s years as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy in the early 1990s, a period intended to prepare her for a career in military service.

Digging up past missteps

While studying at the academy, a significant breach of academic standards came to light, implicating around 130 midshipmen in a far-reaching cheating incident that rocked the institution.

Sherrill became ensnared in the aftermath of this broad misconduct, an event that would ultimately affect a defining moment in her journey through the academy.

As her class neared the end of their rigorous training, the ripple effects of the scandal began to surface, bringing serious consequences for those linked to the wrongdoing.

Missing out on milestone moment

On May 25, 1994, the U.S. Naval Academy conducted its annual commencement, a day filled with pride for most midshipmen as they marked the completion of their studies.

Yet, Sherrill was not among those who joined the procession, unable to take part in the ceremonial recognition alongside her fellow graduates and their families.

Documents obtained by the New Jersey Globe reveal that her name was conspicuously absent from the official program for that day’s ceremony, confirming her exclusion from the occasion.

Choosing peers over ceremony

Her absence stemmed from a decision not to disclose the identities of classmates involved in the cheating episode, a choice that led to disciplinary action against her by the academy.

Sherrill has spoken about this pivotal moment, stating, "I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor."

Despite missing the symbolic event, she completed all necessary academic requirements, secured her degree, and moved forward into the next chapter of her professional life without delay.

Naval career, current political hurdles under microscope

After graduating, Sherrill was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, embarking on a career that spanned nearly a decade of dedicated service to her nation.

Her time in the Navy was characterized by commendable effort and professionalism, even as the earlier incident at the academy remained a quiet footnote in her otherwise notable military record.

Now, as she seeks to lead New Jersey as governor, this past controversy has come back into focus at a crucial time, coinciding with a poll indicating a tight race against Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli. Though the New York Post reached out to Sherrill's campaign for comment, she opted not to release sealed disciplinary records from her academy tenure.