The 13-count criminal indictment against George Norcross, the well-connected powerful man who controlled political puppets throughout southern New Jersey, is more than just a matter of law.
This is a very common lifestyle in New Jersey.
Norcross, like so many executives before him and, sadly, likely many more to come, created a world where politics and business intermingled: He now stands accused of using his political connections to enrich his own businesses, which in turn reportedly bolstered his political standing.
Given that background, is it any surprise that Norcross, 68, of Palm Beach, Florida, was a member of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, where politics, business and the occasional top-secret document were part of the atmosphere?
Shocking indictment details raise questions about New Jersey politics
New Jersey thinks it’s finally catching up with Norcross. An indictment issued this week by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin also names five other co-defendants, including Dana Redd, the former mayor of Camden, New Jersey; Norcross’s brother, Philip; and William Tambussi, Norcross’s longtime personal attorney and former general counsel for the Camden County Democratic Party.
The shocking and sweeping 111-page indictment portrays Norcross as a sophisticated, well-tailored crime boss. Platkin, who announced the indictment on Monday, even went so far as to call Norcross’s web of political and business interests a “criminal enterprise.”
But the criminal lifestyle depicted in the indictment doesn’t fit the easy narrative of organized lawlessness commonly associated with movies like “The Godfather” and “Goodfellas.” There are no guns, no “button men” who speak “Democrat” or “Democrats” instead of pronouns.
The scheme that Norcross allegedly executed has its own story: It was essentially “a group of unelected private businessmen,” as Platkin put it in his description of the case. [who] They used their power and influence to force governments to support their criminal enterprises and increase their profits.”
The indictment dubbed the scheme “Norcross Enterprises” and presented evidence that it continued virtually unchecked for 12 years, beginning in 2012.
That time frame is significant: It spans the administration of former Republican Gov. Chris Christie through the second four-year term of current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
Both Mr. Christie and Mr. Murphy initially tried to avoid negotiations with Mr. Norcross, and rightly so: Democrats and Republicans alike have long viewed the gray-haired Mr. Norcross as a pompous, egotistical strategist who isn’t afraid to say he will support state bills or candidates only if he believes they will benefit him.
In the end, Christie and Murphy swallowed their pride, went along with Norcross and largely turned a blind eye. So did the New Jersey Democratic Party, which desperately needed Norcross to rally votes in Southern New Jersey to win the statewide election. On Wednesday, two days after the indictment, Murphy finally offered lukewarm support for the Platkin investigation, showing just how strange a path the Democrats are on when it comes to Norcross. The point is, Murphy didn’t ask the key question: Why on earth are the Democrats involved with Norcross?
What are power brokers?Why is George Norcross called that in New Jersey?
To be sure, Norcross called himself a Democrat, but few party members wondered why he had no real opinions on the key social issues of the past few decades. It was as if Norcross had somehow managed to avoid getting bloody in the political battles of America’s culture wars over abortion, guns, climate change and immigration.
In some ways, he was the perfect political shadow man, blending business, politics and profit without taking a stand on the big issues of the day. He left the heavy lifting of those divisive issues to others. He could have been a Republican. Maybe he should have. No one would have noticed the difference.
In one conversation I had with him, I asked him simply why he had no interest in running for U.S. Senate. His answer spoke volumes about how he viewed his role as a leader of the Democratic Party.
“I don’t care about the U.S. Senate,” he said bluntly, adding with an honesty that offered a glimpse into his confident approach to politics and business that he was more concerned about how the state Legislature and the governor would affect his own business interests in Camden.
No one knows how much wealth the so-called “Norcross Enterprises” made George Norcross, but it’s clear that Matthew Platkin is risking his reputation and future career to put an end to the venture.
“That ends today,” said Platkin, a Democrat who was once Murphy’s closest legal adviser but whose independence has caused a deep rift between the governor and his allies.
It was Platkin who broke with Murphy earlier this year, and it was Platkin who asked a federal judge to strike down the practice of allowing party county chairs to give the top spot on the ballot to candidates they favor. This year, Murphy lobbied Democratic county chairs hard to get his wife, Tammy, to give the top spot on the ballot in the primary for a U.S. Senate candidate to replace incumbent Bob Menendez, who is currently on trial on corruption charges.
Tammy Murphy ran a poor campaign and dropped out, leaving the seat to Rep. Andy Kim, who is considered the favorite to win the seat in November’s election, but Platkin’s efforts to undermine the so-called “county lines” of the primary left a bitter taste in the mouths of Murphy and other veteran Democrats.
more:Southern New Jersey Democratic Party Leader George Norcross III Indicted on Fraud Charges
Will Norcross upend New Jersey’s political culture?
Now Norcross’s indictment will certainly focus attention on the long tradition of New Jersey politicians enriching their own businesses with government contracts.
“We must never allow politics and government run by taxpayer money to be used as a weapon against our people,” Platkin said. “Today we reaffirm that no one is above the law in this state.”
These are moving words. And it is worth noting that Platkin said them on June 17, exactly 52 years after theand The anniversary of the arrest of the Watergate break-in and the beginning of what became the most significant political scandal in U.S. history.
It remains to be seen whether Platkin’s efforts to “stop” the so-called “Norcross Enterprise” will go down in New Jersey history as a turning point in how politics are run.
Nearly two decades ago, the same questions were raised about Bergen County Democratic Representative Joe Ferriero’s habit of lining his pockets on government contracts. Ferriero eventually served time in federal prison, but before that he hardly denied that he routinely used his political connections to enrich himself and his law firm. Oddly enough, Ferriero played the same role as George Norcross, though on a much smaller scale.
When I asked him naively if this was unethical, Ferriero retorted, “Are you denying me the opportunity to make a living?” Don’t be surprised if George Norcross says something like that in his defense. He’ll probably explain how he helped rebuild the Camden area, which is true. But those projects will now be on trial. Meanwhile, Norcross and a few friends showed up unannounced to Platkin’s press conference on Monday, where the indictment was announced. The moment was like a schoolboy standoff. The kind that happens on school grounds.
Yes, this is about an alleged crime, but it’s also about a lifestyle that is considered a rite of passage for many in New Jersey politics, and maybe across the country — Norcross just happens to be the target right now.
He’s not the first.
He probably won’t be the last.
Mike Kelley is an award-winning columnist for NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, the author of three critically acclaimed nonfiction books and a producer of podcasts and documentary films. Subscribe now or activate your digital account to get unlimited access to his insightful thoughts on life in the Northeast.
Email: kellym@northjersey.com
