McGreevey, wife settle custody dispute

The Associated Press

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Former Gov. James E. McGreevey and his estranged wife on Thursday settled child custody matters as they moved closer to dissolving their marriage, a court spokeswoman said.

The deal regarding custody of their 6-year-old daughter came on the third day of negotiations, which included some closed-door testimony before the judge who is attempting to avoid a divorce trial.

No details were immediately available. Court spokeswoman Sandra Thaler-Gerber said lawyers for the couple would make a public statement later Thursday evening.

The couple and their lawyers are scheduled to return Monday to the Union County Courthouse to begin settlement talks on remaining issues, including alimony and child support.

Should those succeed, the remaining issue would be Dina Matos McGreevey's claim of marriage fraud.

Thursday's testimony was given behind closed doors because it dealt with custody of the couple's daughter. There was no immediate word on who or how many people had testified. The former governor and his wife split in 2004 after he resigned in disgrace over a gay affair. They had been married for four years.

James McGreevey stepped down during his first term in office after a nationally televised speech in which he acknowledged being "a gay American" and said he had an affair with a male staffer.

The staffer has denied the affair and claims he was sexually harassed by McGreevey.

In the 3 years since the breakup, James McGreevey took up residence at the home of his boyfriend and began studying for the Episcopal priesthood while Matos McGreevey became a sometime analyst on cable television shows. Both wrote tell-all books and promoted them on Oprah Winfrey's television show.