Who Is George Norcross?

George E. Norcross III, who was indicted on Monday on charges of racketeering, has never held elected office but has wielded immense political power in New Jersey for decades.

A Democrat, he rose to prominence in Camden, N.J., after dropping out of Rutgers University in the late 1970s. His father helped him start a small insurance company in Camden and introduced him to the mayor, who appointed him to the city’s parking authority — the only government position he has ever held.

Mr. Norcross, 68, went on to become financially successful and politically potent, playing a large role in selecting New Jersey’s political leaders and influencing state policy.

For six years, from 1989 to 1995, he was chairman of Camden County’s Democratic Association, but he has continued to be largely in control of the organization since then. He served many years on the Democratic National Committee, until he was forced, in 2021, to resign after reporting showed that he had registered to vote in Florida, where he now spends much of his time.

He had alliances that often blurred the lines between the Democratic and Republican parties. For years he was both a close friend of the former House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and a member of former President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club.

Mr. Norcross led the insurance division of Commerce Bank and is now chairman of Conner Strong & Buckelew, one of the nation’s largest insurance firms.