George Norcross, a businessman and longstanding fixture in New Jersey politics, has been indicted on racketeering charges related to his real estate ventures. Norcross is considered one of the most influential financiers in South Jersey politics, with ties to numerous elected Democrats in the southern part of the state and some Republicans as well. A former head of the Camden County Democratic Party and member of the Democratic National Committee, he has long held sway over political influence within the party, which controls every major city in America’s most densely populated state.
The charges against Norcross come as a surprise to many political observers, who noted that several high-profile corrupt Democrats had yet to comment on the indictment, despite its significance to both the state and the party. This may be an indication of the power broker’s influence within the political sphere.
At a press conference announcing the charges against him, Norcross chose to sit in the front row, ensuring that he would be visible during the entirety of the broadcast. Reporters present at the event documented what appeared to be multiple attempts by employees of the attorney general’s office to move him, but Norcross refused.
The state’s indictment alleges that Norcross and his associates, including a former Camden mayor and his brother Philip Norcross, used threats and intimidation to secure millions of dollars’ worth of state tax credits in the city’s waterfront area, its most desirable location for real estate development. The charges against Norcross represent another chapter in the ongoing conflict between homegrown Democratic machine leaders and a new class of progressive elites with ties to investment banks such as Goldman Sachs.
Between former Governor Jon Corzine and current Governor Phil Murphy, who spent two decades at Goldman Sachs, these out-of-state millionaires have governed New Jersey for a decade. They have actively sought to limit the power of local corrupt Democrats by implementing measures like banning multiple office holding, which has weakened local bosses and created a larger gap between Trenton’s elites and the rest of the state.