Mikie Sherrill faces questions over kids’ Naval Academy admissions

In a surprising turn of events, New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill is under intense scrutiny as both of her children have secured spots at the highly selective U.S. Naval Academy.

The controversy centers on Sherrill, a Democratic congresswoman and Naval Academy alumna, facing criticism over the rare simultaneous admission of her two children, Lincoln and Margaret Hedberg, alongside resurfaced reports of her past involvement in a cheating scandal during her own time at the academy in the 1990s, as New York Post reports.

Sherrill, who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1994 and later served as a helicopter pilot, has long been associated with the institution.

Unusual Sibling Admissions Spark Debate

Her office announced in June that her children were among nine students from her district to gain admission to the academy, which boasts a mere 9% acceptance rate.

The timing of the news raised eyebrows, coming just days after reports resurfaced about Sherrill’s connection to a class-wide cheating scandal during her midshipman years, which she claims prevented her from walking at graduation because she refused to implicate classmates.

Additionally, her husband, Jason Hedberg, was linked to an unsuccessful lawsuit aimed at blocking a probe into him and other students related to that scandal.

Nomination Process Under the Microscope

Critics on social media, including the account Libs of TikTok, have questioned the likelihood of both siblings being admitted at the same time, with posts asking, “What are the chances?”

Lincoln and Margaret were nominated by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and former interim Sen. George Helmy (D-N.J.), though it remains unclear whether either was designated as a principal nominee, a status that can prioritize a candidate.

Members of Congress are allowed to have five constituents at the academy at a time and can nominate up to 15 candidates per vacancy, making the process highly competitive.

Sherrill Defends Against Conflict Claims

Sherrill has emphasized that her children did not go through her congressional office’s nomination process to avoid any perceived conflict of interest.

“In order to remove even the appearance of a conflict of interest, my children did not compete in my office’s service academy nomination process,” Sherrill said.

“Instead, they applied to the offices of the US senators from New Jersey, who also run academy nomination processes each year, and I am proud that they each earned nominations on their own,” she added.

Campaign and Supporters Push Back

Her campaign has strongly rebuffed the criticism, with communications director Sean Higgins calling it “a depraved attack.”

“It’s despicable, wrong, and underscores just how unfit Jack Ciattarelli is to be governor,” Higgins stated, pointing to Sherrill’s Republican opponent and suggesting the attacks stem from desperation as polling numbers tighten.

Parents of other midshipmen have also come to Sherrill’s defense, with one anonymous mother noting, “Sherrill was at the nominations ceremony and very nice to everybody. Her daughter did not get directly into the academy. She had to go through much more than other kids who got directly in. She went through NAPS [the Navy Preparatory Program].”