New Jersey’s acting attorney general announced Tuesday that she will abandon efforts to revive racketeering charges against influential Democratic figure George E. Norcross III and his co-defendants.
Jennifer Davenport, recently named to the position by newly-elected Governor Mikie Sherrill, made the announcement almost three weeks following an appellate court’s decision to uphold a lower court’s dismissal of the criminal charges. The original indictment had been pursued by Matt Platkin, who held the attorney general position under former Governor 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 criminal charges originated from a June 2024 indictment that Platkin revealed during a press conference where Norcross made the remarkable decision to attend personally, positioning himself directly before the attorney general as the charges were announced.
The indictment alleged that Norcross and five additional defendants operated “an enterprise” dating back to 2012, leveraging their political connections to shape laws that would benefit their personal interests. However, a state judge issued an extensive ruling spanning nearly 100 pages, determining that the prosecution’s claims failed to establish criminal coercion or extortion and were beyond the statute of limitations.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Norcross and his legal team consistently proclaimed his innocence, arguing the charges were driven by political motivations—claims that Platkin has consistently rejected.
Norcross, who held the position of executive chairman at insurance company Conner Strong & Buckelew, has long been recognized as one of New Jersey’s most powerful unelected Democratic figures. His influence extended to serving on the Democratic National Committee until 2021 and previously leading the Camden County Democratic Party.
