US/NORTHERN IRELAND: New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey has shown a strong interest in Irish issues and has been a long-time supporter of the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, writes Sean O'Driscoll in New York
In many speeches to firefighters, police and the large Irish population in New Jersey, Governor McGreevey has referred to his grandfather, who emigrated from Banbridge, Co Down, and who took a job as a New Jersey policeman.
However, the Banbridge connection was to hit him hard only one year into his term as governor.
In November 2002, the New Jersey media published details of the governor's trade mission to Ireland the previous July, in which he and his staff spent at least $105,000 of New Jersey taxpayers' money, including over $16,000 on cellphone charges.
Governor McGreevey's own expenses included a stay at a $720-a-night suite at the Berkeley Court Hotel in Dublin and, most famously, $3,178.48 on a McGreevey family reunion at a steakhouse in Banbridge.
The group also hired a limousine to travel around Connemara. According to a New Jersey journalist who was on the trip, Governor McGreevey also presented Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly with a ceramic bald eagle as gift from the people of New Jersey.
Although the governor and the Democratic Party paid back much of the money, it made a lasting dent on a governor who came into office pledging to bring fiscal responsibility to New Jersey's wayward budget.
The Irish Times later applied under the New Jersey Freedom of Information Act for a record of Governor McGreevey's receipts for the trip. His office eventually furnished dozens of pages, including an itemised phone bills of Mr McGreevey's phone calls, with all the name and phone numbers blanked out with heavy marker.
Also in November 2002, the New York Post strongly condemned Governor McGreevey for holding an official state reception at his residence for Gerry Adams.
In an editorial entitled "Osama's Soul Brother", the paper accused Mr Adams of "flipping the bird" to America's war on terrorism and accused Governor McGreevey of holding a reception for an anti-American terrorist.
The article went on to list a number of IRA wrongdoings since the Good Friday agreement and included a picture of Mr Adams meeting with "fellow terrorist" Fidel Castro.
The article caused controversy among Irish American groups and there were a number of calls for a boycott of the New York Post.
Ms Stella O'Leary, the president of the Irish American Democrats, said yesterday she and many Irish Americans were saddened by Governor McGreevey's resignation announcement.
Ms O'Leary said there should no longer be any social stigma attached to homosexuality, but said she wished the governor had come to terms with his sexuality at an earlier date.