Prosecutors drop racketeering case against New Jersey Democratic power broker, co-defendants

New Jersey’s acting attorney general said Tuesday she will not ask the state Supreme Court to review the dismissal of racketeering charges against Democratic power broker George E. Norcross III and those charged alongside him.

The decision by Jennifer Davenport, who was recently appointed by new Gov. Mikie Sherrill, came nearly three weeks after a three-judge appellate panel upheld a state judge’s decision to toss the criminal charges. The indictment had been obtained by Matt Platkin, who served as attorney general under Sherrill’s predecessor and fellow Democrat Phil Murphy.

“In light of the Appellate Division’s decision, we have concluded that our prosecutorial resources would be best spent on other matters,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement. “Our office remains committed to prioritizing public corruption prosecutions in this time of deepening mistrust in government.”

The charges stemmed from a June 2024 indictment announced by Platkin at a news conference at which Norcross himself took the unusual step of appearing in person and sitting directly in front of the attorney general.

Norcross and five other defendants were accused of running “an enterprise” going back to 2012 to use their political influence to craft legislation to serve their own interests. But in a nearly 100-page ruling, the state judge found the prosecution’s allegations did not amount to criminal coercion or extortion and are time-barred.

Norcross and his lawyers have long maintained his innocence, claiming the indictment was politically motivated, an allegation Platkin has repeatedly denied.

Norcross, who served as executive chairman of the insurance firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, has been widely viewed as among the most influential unelected Democrats in the state. He was a Democratic National Committee member until 2021 and previously served as the head of the Camden County Democratic Party.