Aide Denies He Had Sex With Gov. McGreevey

In his new book, former Gov. James McGreevey says it was the affair with his aide that wrecked his marriage and led to the downfall of his political career. The aide, Golan Cipel, denies he ever had sexual relations with the governor, instead claiming that he was sexually harassed over a period of more than two years.

"I didn't have sex with him. Ever," Cipel, 37, told The Philadelphia Inquirer by phone from Israel. "In his book, he talks about love, but I never heard anything from McGreevey that was affectionate. The only thing I experienced from him was sexual harassment."

Gov. James McGreevey claims their relationship is accurately described in his book. "The book is rigorously, if not painfully, honest," McGreevey told The Associated Press Sunday. "It was necessary in my recovery to be totally honest, to embrace my mistakes, my failures and the pain I caused, and to take responsibility for my actions. The book is an effort, however imperfect, to describe the dangers of living a divided, inauthentic life."

A copy of the book, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, has McGreevey recounting how he first bedded Cipel in December 2001 while his wife was in the hospital after delivering their daughter. McGreevey describes the first kiss in his life that meant something and lovemaking that was "a boastful, passionate, whispering, masculine kind of love."

Cipel describes the evening differently, saying the former governor took him out to a bar trying to get him drunk on shots before hitting on him. Cipel then says McGreevey took him home to look at something "for work."

"So McGreevey comes up, turned toward the den very fast, and pushed me toward the bedroom. I froze, and I said, 'What's going on?' He pushed me again on my chest. He jumped on me and we wrestled. He tried to kiss me. He tried to sexually assault me," Cipel said.