Candidates for New Jersey governor have mixed reactions to the George Norcross dismissal

One candidate for New Jersey governor is fiercely backing Democratic power broker George Norcross after a judge dismissed a racketeering case against him. Nine other candidates contacted by The Inquirer had a range of reactions, from questioning the ruling to avoiding the topic altogether.

Prosecutors accused Norcross of trying to obtain waterfront property in Camden and millions of dollars in tax credits with intimidation and threats. In a 100-page opinion on Wednesday, Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw granted Norcross’ request to dismiss the 13-count indictment, which came from a grand jury in June.

Democrat Steve Sweeney, the former New Jersey Senate president and longtime friend of Norcross, took a fiery stance just hours after the decision after avoiding commenting on the case for months.

“Today’s decision is yet more proof that political prosecutions have no place in New Jersey or our nation,” Sweeney said in a statement. “By dismissing this case, the judge has made it clear that these innocent individuals, including George Norcross and Dana Redd, should never have been indicted.”

Sweeney, a South Jersey union leader, was referenced in the indictment but was not accused of wrongdoing.

If Sweeney felt this way before the case was dismissed, he didn’t make it known when speaking with reporters after the Democratic debate earlier this month.

“George Norcross is going to stand before a judge and a jury, and whatever happens is going to happen,” he told reporters at the time when asked about the indictment. “I’m not George Norcross. I’m Steve Sweeney.”

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Norcross and Sweeney were childhood friends, and the millionaire power broker supported Sweeney’s political endeavors and helped him gain clout over the years. After Sweeney lost reelection to grassroots Republican Ed Durr after holding the longest tenure as state Senate president, Norcross said he still hoped Sweeney would run for governor.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, a progressive Democrat who has framed himself as an antiestablishment candidate, suggested in a statement Wednesday that he’s unconvinced that the case didn’t have merit, comparing it to the case of now-convicted former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who was recently sentenced to 11 years for bribery.

“I know most political [people] in NJ will be scared to comment but here is a Fact- often there is a difference between how the judicial process plays out on technical legal reasons vs what is actually right/wrong,” Fulop said Wednesday in a text message and a post on X. “That is a sad truth. We saw this with Bob Menendez’s first hung jury.. we have seen this with corruption cases across the country. NJ deserves change.”

Fulop has said that he would reappoint Attorney General Matt Platkin, who said he plans to appeal the dismissal.

Democrat Sean Spiller, the former Montclair mayor and president of the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, also expressed skepticism about the case and said it will sow public distrust.

“With a President acting with blatant disregard for the law, and a New Jersey political system that has long been controlled by insiders and party bosses, we need to rebuild trust in our elected leaders,” he said in a statement. “The dismissal of the charges leaves many unanswered questions that will only build distrust.”

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Democratic U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who represents parts of Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex Counties, described the dismissal as an example of a fair judicial system and used the topic as an opportunity to criticize President Donald Trump.

“Today’s decision speaks to how the justice system is built to work — a judge, making decisions by the book without fear or favor,” Gottheimer said. “It’s the opposite of what President Trump is now doing with the Department of Justice — actively undermining the rule of law. President Trump could learn a thing or two from today’s decision about what the rule of law looks like.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a progressive Democrat, declined to comment.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who represents parts of Essex, Morris, and Passaic Counties, also did not weigh in on the merits of the decision, but said she has her eyes on the case.

“As a former prosecutor, I have been monitoring this case and will continue to do so as the Attorney General appeals,” she said in a statement.

The perceived front-runners in the Republican race also did not jump at the chance to speak about Norcross.

Bill Spadea, a former conservative radio host, and Jack Ciattarelli, a former state representative, both declined to comment Wednesday.

At the first Republican debate earlier this month, Matt Rooney, editor of conservative website Save Jersey, described the recent scene of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and former governors of both parties standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Norcross at a groundbreaking ceremony while asking whether New Jersey has a “deep state problem.” None of the candidates mentioned Norcross in their responses.

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On Wednesday, Durr, the former Republican state senator and truck driver who ousted Sweeney, said on the phone that he believed the case was “fake” because Gov. Phil Murphy attended the groundbreaking with Norcross, suggesting the governor would not do so if the case had been likely to succeed.

“This is just the same old, same old, by the establishment. They just keep playing the game,” Durr speculated. " … I think it was kind of like a, send a little message, maybe he was stepping out of line, maybe he did something that tweaked them a little bit.”

Republican State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a civil lawyer who represents parts of Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, and Union Counties, said on the phone Wednesday that he spoke with top criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors after the indictment came out and they all told him “that they couldn’t find the crime” in the case.

“If you’re a public official, there’s a lot of things you can’t do, but as a private citizen it’s very different,” he said. " … Rough and tumble politics is not a crime.”