George Norcross' racketeering indictment dismissed as New Jersey's top prosecutor vows to appeal
Norcross, the chairman of the board of trustees at Cooper Health and the executive chairman of insurance firm Conner, Strong and Buckelew, was accused of controlling property deals along the Camden waterfront to collect millions of dollars in tax credits.
The former Camden Mayor Dana Redd was also charged in the indictment, as was Norcross' brother Philip. The others charged include William Tambussi, George Norcross' longtime personal attorney, former Cooper Health trustee Sidney R. Brown, and developer John J. O'Donnell.
Brown and O'Donnell were partners in the groups owning various Camden buildings including the Ferry Terminal Building and the Triad1828 Centre.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said his office will be "appealing immediately." Here's his full statement:
"We disagree strongly with the trial court's decision, and we are appealing immediately. After years in which the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently cut back on federal public corruption law, and at a time in which the federal government is refusing to tackle corruption, it has never been more important for state officials to take corruption head on. But I have never promised that these cases would be easy, because too many have come to view corruption as simply the way the powerful do business in New Jersey. That corruption has consequences: it breeds a loss of trust in government and in our public servants, at a time when we must work to protect and restore faith in our institutions. Today is a reminder of how much work remains, and how difficult it will be to clean up government in our state. But along with the career law enforcement officers and prosecutors who have worked on this case for years, I won't back down from that fight."
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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