What else would we have to talk about otherwise?

Their politicians and the operators behind them are second to none for brass spherical objects.

If it's not their rodential governor trying to stay in power by getting his wife elected, or their twice indicted senator of the heavily weighted suits in his closet and, while no bells on his toes, he did have bills in his boots.

And then there are the "kingmakers," the movers and shakers in Democratic circles to grease the skids and get these skidmarks elected time and again.

Like this Norcross guy, genially seated in the front row of the press conference where they're going to announce they're indicting him on a 13 count, 111 page racketing case.

He seems to be taking it in stride, no?

George Norcross is sitting in the front row of a press conference where he's getting indicted. Reporter takes his picture, asks how you doin'

New Jersey things. https://t.co/TDXc3u0koq pic.twitter.com/415lZPIFvV

— Joe Colangelo (@Itsjoeco) June 17, 2024

And why not?

Yes, Norcross is personally sitting in the very front row of the press conference. Hasn’t started yet. pic.twitter.com/oDFtWR4c5l

— Daniel Han (@danieljhan_) June 17, 2024

He's a big-wig Democrat from New Jersey. Dapper is confident.

George Norcross, who for decades had been a Democratic political kingmaker in New Jersey, was charged with racketeering in an indictment unsealed Monday.

Norcross’s brother, Phillip Norcross, and four other defendants also were charged in the 13-count, 111-page indictment filed by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

...George Norcross, a 68-year-old insurance executive and former member of the Democratic National Committee, was chair of the board of trustes of Cooper University Health Care and chair of Conner Strong & Buckelew.

Now a resident of Florida, George Norcross was in attendance at a press conference Platkin gave on the charges Monday in Trenton.

“The indictment unsealed today alleges that George Norcross has been running a criminal enterprise in this state for at least the last twelve years,” said Platkin.

His move kinda threw the whole NJ AG's staff for a loop and their attempt to have him shift his seat went rather badly.

Testy moment between George Norcross and a NJ AG staffer.

"Is there someone more significant than the lead defendant in the case to have a seat in the front row while he's being excoriated by the attorney general of the state?" pic.twitter.com/vGGSIaekz4

— Matt Rice (@matt____rice) June 17, 2024

YOICKS

The language being used to describe the indictment is "bombshell" but some of the evidence so far is shaking out as he said, he said. Like this exchange for instance, where it's, "Yes, I said that, but not in those words."

...The indictment says that Norcross’ criminal conduct included threatening a developer who had held the waterfront property rights necessary for the Norcross enterprise to build the tallest building on the Camden waterfront.

“When the developer would not relinquish his rights on terms preferred by George E. Norcross III, he threatened the developer that he would, in substance and in part, “f**k you up like you’ve never been f**ked up before and told the developer he would make sure the developer never did business in Camden again,” the indictment said.

“In a recorded phone call, [Norcross] later admitted to threatening the developer: ‘I said, `this is unacceptable. If you do this, it will have enormous consequences.’ [The developer] said, `Are you threatening me?′ I said, `Absolutely,′ ” according to the indictment.

This is a whole 'nuther level of Jersey.

He just asked if he could ask questions. LOL

— Woke Zombie 🇺🇸😊 (@AWokeZombie) June 17, 2024

The indictment is alleging that Norcross and Co's scheme was to get ahold of all the abandoned warehouse and frontage on the Camden waterfront so they could develop it themselves. The exchange above, where Norcross either flat-out threatened or politely insinuated a real downside to an uncooperative developer (whomever you choose to believe) is the guy who wouldn't sell them one of the remaining pieces of property they needed to put their plans into motion.

...“The abandoned industrial sites along the Camden waterfront had the potential to serve as the city’s salvation,” Platkin said today. “But as the state alleges, the Norcross enterprise manipulated government programs and processes designed to attract development and investment to instead suit their own financial desires instead of contributing to the successes of the city of Camden. Through a series of criminal acts alleged in this case, the Norcross enterprise took the Camden waterfront all for themselves.”

...The indictment alleges that Norcross threatened a developer who owned property he needed to build the tallest building along the waterfront, Triad1828 Centre.

“When the developer would not relinquish his rights on terms preferred by (Norcross), he threatened the developer that he would, in substance and in part, ‘f**k you up like you’ve never been f**ked up before,’ and told the developer he would make sure the developer never did business in Camden again,” the indictment reads. “In a recorded phone call, (Norcross) later admitted to threatening the developer: ‘I said … ‘this is unacceptable. If you do this, it will have enormous consequences.’’”

The developer wound up selling the rights to $18 million worth of tax credits to an entity owned by persons connected to the Norcross enterprise.  That allowed the enterprise to apply for additional tax credits worth more than $240 million.

And this fellow has had his threads running through all sorts of New Jersey administrations. He's an equal opportunity opportunist when it came to working the state real estate tax incentive angles.

...In testimony before a State Senate committee in 2019, Norcross criticized a task force investigating New Jersey’s tax incentive.

That year, the New York Times reported that Kevin Sheehan, an attorney at Parker McCay, where Philip Norcross, the kingmaker’s brother, is managing partner, had significant input on the bill, at times injecting verbatim passages that created carve-outs for specific businesses in Camden.

The task force later confirmed the report, releasing publicly draft versions of the bills that showed edits made by Sheehan, who ProPublica reported was in constant communication with Gov. Chris Christie’s administration during the drafting of the bill.

With Menendez-like bluster but ever more elegantly, Norcross stood outside after the indictment press conference and challenged NJ AG Platkin to a mud wrestling match.

Norcross had a stage already set up in the lobby for his post-press conference appearance, but the AG kicked them completely out of the building.

No worries for Norcross. He did fine off the French cuff.

Norcross responds. pic.twitter.com/mJ2VhVIQGS

— S.P. Sullivan (@spsullivan) June 17, 2024

Crusty NJ political hands are shocked at the seismic shift in the status quo. Is Murphy evening old scores before he skitters out of the office, or is it actually a new day where politics "as usual" won't be the usual?

Sen. Bob Menendez is on trial. Democrats lost the county line. And now George Norcross and crew are indicted. The most momentous year for NJ politics since I started covering it in 2007.

— Matt Friedman (@MattFriedmanNJ) June 17, 2024

No one's sure yet, but it was something different for New Jersey to wake up to.