The nation's
first openly gay governor could have become a talk show
host, pursued a movie deal, or otherwise cashed in on his
fame after a sex scandal forced him from office, a
lawyer for his estranged wife argued Monday.
John Post, who
represents Dina Matos McGreevey, is trying to convince the
judge in the couple's divorce case that former New
Jersey governor James McGreevey has
underestimated his earning potential and net worth to
avoid paying alimony to his soon-to-be ex-wife.
McGreevey's
lawyer, Stephen Haller, has tried to show that his client,
now an Episcopal seminary student, is too poor to pay. The
50-year-old former governor has testified that he does
not want to pursue high-profile jobs because he wants
to quietly get on with his life.
Lawyers for the
McGreeveys repeatedly clashed over money matters Monday
as the judge tried to untangle the couple's assets and
debts.
The McGreeveys
have been separated since he left office in November 2004,
three months after he said he had an affair with a male
staffer and planned to resign. The staffer denies he
had an affair with McGreevey and accused him of sexual
harassment.
The couple have
agreed on custody of their only child, a 6-year-old girl,
but are far apart on how much money Matos McGreevey should
receive, if she receives any. She claims she should be
compensated for the 13 months she would have lived in
the governor's mansion had her husband not resigned.
An accountant
hired by McGreevey said it would cost $15,000 a month for
the governor and his wife to live like they did at the
governor's mansion; an expert hired by Matos McGreevey
said it would cost $51,000 a month.
The two sides
also clashed over the cachet of the McGreevey name.
The former
governor's expert, Sharyn Maggio, testified that neither
McGreevey nor his wife could expect to enhance their
earnings based on the fame they achieved from his
resignation -- or their divorce, which has been
televised on Court TV.
''Charles Manson
was famous,'' Maggio testified. ''That doesn't equate to
celebrity in the financial sense.''
An employment
expert testified last week that McGreevey's political fall
rendered him ''radioactive'' in the professional world.
However, his
wife's expert claims McGreevey could earn $1.4 million in
his lifetime because of the celebrity status attached to his
name.
During
cross-examination, Post tried to poke holes in Maggio's
testimony by showing that her earnings and lifestyle
estimates were based on information provided only by
McGreevey.
The McGreeveys
maintained separate finances, Post argued, so basing
calculations only on the governor's checking and tax
information rendered Maggio's conclusions inaccurate.
Matos McGreevey used the bulk of her salary as a
hospital executive to buy clothes and food for herself and
the couple's daughter, her lawyer said.
Besides alimony,
Matos McGreevey, 41, is also asking the court to award
her damages based on the contention that McGreevey committed
marriage fraud. She claims she was duped into marriage
by a gay man who needed the cover of a wife to advance
his political career.
McGreevey
counters that his wife, whom he married in 2000, should have
known he was gay.
The former
governor was to take the stand when the trial resumes
Wednesday. (Angela Delli Santi, AP)
