Democrat AGs hatch plot to 'Trump-proof' the liberal agenda if Trump wins — but their motive isn't what it seems



Powerful Democratic leaders in blue states are reportedly forming plans to "Trump-proof" the progressive agenda.

Anticipating the possibility that Donald Trump wins the 2024 election, Democratic attorneys general are planning "an aggressive legal strategy to fight him again in court," according to Politico. Those plans include hiring outside experts and researching areas of the law where they believe they can fight a second Trump administration.

'They make decisions predicated on politics sometimes instead of what they’re statutorily obligated to do.'

The central thesis of the plan is this: Democrat AGs will repeatedly sue the Trump administration for any policy they don't like.

Democrats are framing themselves and their plan as the vanguard of democracy and individual rights. In reality, they want to legally hamstring a new Trump administration for policies on immigration, the environment, elections, and "reproductive health" that do not advance the liberal agenda.

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin (D) claimed the effort is about protecting citizens' rights.

"When you look at the first Trump presidency, you can see the devastating impact some of the policies that were pursued by that administration had on millions of people across our state," he told Politico. "We need to be prepared for that possibility, even though it may not come to pass, so we’re not caught flat-footed and we’re ready to stand up for the rights of our residents should that be necessary."

Democrats are thus "preparing for potential legal arguments and building an infrastructure to be ready to go should we need to," he added.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), moreover, boasted that Democrats are experienced at this.

"Our office is not new to this. We've been in this position, in 2016 to 2020. And if necessary, we’ll prepare to fight in the same way again," he said.

Indeed, when Trump was president from 2017–2021, Democratic AGs filed more than 160 multi-state lawsuits against the Trump administration.

The states expected to be involved in the effort include New Jersey, California, New York, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, and potentially Oregon and Washington. Other states with liberal AGs could join their coalition.

Meanwhile, the motive behind the plan isn't exactly what it seems.

While Democratic leaders are interested in protecting progressive policies, they're motivated by the political rewards they could reap by weaponizing their office against Trump.

"Attorneys general often now are looking at the next political step," former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler (D) told Politico. "They make decisions predicated on politics sometimes instead of what they're statutorily obligated to do."

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Democrat powerbrokers in New Jersey arrested after apparent racketeering scandal



Several powerful New Jersey leaders affiliated with the Democratic Party have now been indicted in connection with an alleged corruption scandal that stretches back more than a decade.

On Monday, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, a Democrat appointed to office in 2022 by Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, announced multiple charges, including first-degree racketeering, against six defendants: George Norcross III, Philip Norcross, William Tambussi, Dana Redd, Sidney Brown, and John O'Donnell.

'The alleged conduct of the Norcross Enterprise has caused great harm to individuals, businesses, non-profits, the people of the State of New Jersey, and especially the City of Camden and its residents. That stops today.'

According to Platkin's press release, a group referred to as the Norcross Enterprise used unseemly means to acquire property, especially in Camden, and then coordinated with government officials to "craft" laws and regulations that benefited them. When officials and other residents refused to play along, the enterprise resorted to "coercion, extortion, and other criminal acts" to get their way, the press release said.

This scandal dates back at least to 2012, Platkin alleged, and officials have been investigating it for "years."

"On full display in this indictment is how a group of unelected, private businessmen used their power and influence to get government to aid their criminal enterprise and further its interests," Platkin said in a statement. "The alleged conduct of the Norcross Enterprise has caused great harm to individuals, businesses, non-profits, the people of the State of New Jersey, and especially the City of Camden and its residents. That stops today. We must never accept politics and government – that is funded with tax dollars – to be weaponized against the people it serves. Today we reaffirm that no one in our state is above the law – period."

Of the six defendants charged in the indictment, Redd, the former mayor of Camden and a Democrat former state senator, is the only one to have been elected to office. Nevertheless, the rest, especially George Norcross, wielded considerable influence over their state's political landscape.

Politico claimed 68-year-old George Norcross "ruled" the state of New Jersey for "decades" and that "many politicians feared crossing" him. The AP described him as one of "the most influential unelected Democrats in the state."

Norcross, a former member of the Democratic National Committee and the former chair of the Camden County Democratic Party, also joined forces with high-profile New Jersey Republicans, including former Gov. Chris Christie. Currently a resident of Palm Beach, Florida, Norcross was also a former member of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.

One New Jersey insider compared the indictment to a political "earthquake," another to an "atomic bomb."

'I want to witness an extraordinary embarrassment and outrageous conduct from a government official who stands up there and tries to act like he’s holier than thou.'

Norcross even attended Platkin's press conference to announce the indictment. "I want to witness an extraordinary embarrassment and outrageous conduct from a government official who stands up there and tries to act like he’s holier than thou," he said after the conference.

"I want Matt Platkin to come down here and try this case himself, because he’s a coward, because he has forced people in this building to implement his will."

One of Norcross' brothers, Philip Norcross, a Philadelphia attorney with an "unblemished reputation," according to his attorney, has also been charged. Another Norcross brother, Donald Norcross, a Democrat U.S. representative from New Jersey, has not.

"I love my brothers. I believe in the rule of law, and they will have the opportunity to defend themselves during their day in court," Rep. Norcross said in a statement.

Tambussi is also an attorney who once served as outside counsel to the City of Camden. For the past 35 years, he has also served as counsel to the Camden County Democratic Committee. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment from the AP.

Redd's attorney Henry Klingeman insisted she has "done nothing wrong." Klingeman claimed Redd served her community and cooperated in the investigation.

The other defendants have not yet hired an attorney.

The first-degree racketeering charge alone carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $200,000 as well as "additional financial penalties" that Platkin has already confirmed he intends to seek.

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