New Jersey's attorney general charges an influential Democratic power broker with racketeering

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Democratic power broker George E. Norcross III was charged Monday with racketeering and other crimes in connection with a waterfront redevelopment and the use of government-issued tax credits.

At a news conferenced in Trenton, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin accused Norcross, a former Democratic National Committee member and onetime head of the Camden County Democratic Party, of leading a criminal enterprise. Five alleged co-conspirators also were indicted.

Michael Critchley, Norcross’ attorney, called the indictment a political vendetta.

“What they did is they relied on some political adversaries,” Critchley said, and that “resulted in this tortured and unfair prosecution.”

The charges stem in part from 2012-2013, when Norcross sought to redevelop the waterfront in Camden, New Jersey, which overlooks Philadelphia. Camden at that point had among the highest crime rates in the nation. The 111-page indictment unsealed Monday alleges that he threatened a developer who would not relinquish his rights to waterfront property and that Norcross used political influence to orchestrate tax incentives to be enacted to benefit organizations he controlled.

Members of the alleged conspiracy also got a government development agency to help them get leverage in private negotiations, said Platkin, who is also a Democrat.

Prosecutors said the 13-count indictment outlined how the group flexed political influence and acquired property and property rights through coercion, extortion and other criminal acts. All six defendants are accused of first-degree racketeering, financial crimes, misconduct by corporate officials and conspiracy.

Norcross and his associates “used their political influence to tailor New