New Jersey Democratic Power Broker Indicted for Racketeering, Extortion

A New Jersey political power broker, George Norcross, has been indicted by the state attorney general on 13 charges related to his alleged involvement in a scheme to illegally obtain millions of dollars in tax credits and extorting a property developer into selling a commercial real estate property. Mr. Norcross “led a criminal enterprise whose members and associates agreed the enterprise would extort others through threats and fear of economic and reputational harm and commit other criminal offenses to achieve the enterprise’s goals,” the indictment says.The state attorney general, Matthew Platkin, said Mr. Norcross and five co-defendants — including his brother, lobbyist Philip Norcross, and a former mayor of Camden, New Jersey, Dana Redd — spent more than a decade engaged in criminal activity to obtain favorable government treatment with respect to property development and tax incentives.“It turns out that powerful people don’t like being held accountable,” Mr. Platkin said. “We will never back down from doing the hard work necessary … we will never stop pursuing justice.”The charges against Mr. Norcross and his associates include racketeering, conspiracy to commit theft by extortion, financial facilitation of criminal activity, and second degree misconduct by a corporate official, among others. Mr. Norcross has been a heavy hitter in Democratic politics in southern New Jersey for decades, serving as a member of the Democratic National Committee and as chairman of the Camden County Democratic Party. He famously helped oust a state senate president in order to install a childhood friend in 2009. His brother, Donald Norcross, has served in Congress representing South Jersey for nearly a decade. Mr. Norcross himself appeared at a press conference on Monday as Mr. Platkin announced the indictment. The lead defendant sat in the front row, just feet from Mr. Platkin and other prosecutors and investigators. At one point, a woman who appeared to be a staff member for the attorney general’s office asked Mr. Norcross to move to another seat because it was reserved for government officials who were involved in the investigation. When the woman asked that he move, Mr. Norcross said the seat was not, in fact, reserved, and that he had every right to sit there. Shortly after, an associate of Mr. Norcross chimed in. “Is there someone more significant than the lead defendant in the case to have a seat in the front row while he’s being excoriated by the attorney general of the state?” Mr. Norcross’s associate asked. Ultimately, the woman let him stay in the chair.

New Jersey Democratic Power Broker Indicted for Racketeering, Extortion

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