Dead End: Crime and Politics

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Nancy Invites You to an In-Person Event at WNYC - this Wednesday! Jun 22, 2026

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Friends of Dead End, Nancy Solomon here. This Wednesday I’m hosting an event at WNYC – at 7 pm. It’s all about the history of FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a recent series by On The Media.

After years of reporting on far-right militias, co-host Micah Loewinger knew that extremist groups often showed up after natural disasters to recruit, fundraise, and spit-shine their public image. But it wasn’t clear why they hated FEMA so much. After digging around in right-wing media archives, it became clear that the anti-FEMA lore went back decades.

The four-part investigation examines how the agency tasked with saving America became so distrusted, despised, and defunded and, looking to the future, how the agency will be reshaped during the Trump administration.

On Wednesday, I get to interview Micah and producer Eloise Blondiau about the making of the series. We’ll be joined by a former FEMA staffer. I’m really excited for the conversation – and I hope you’ll come join me in person.

Get a ticket at wnyc.org/events.

Listen to the first episode of the series from On the Media (https://zpr.io/qQF7rfdJa4xF)

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The Felon Jun 18, 2025

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It was an elegant scheme, but soon cracks began to appear. The FBI watches Menendez have a dinner with Egyptian spies, they find gold bars in a closet, and a foreign influence scheme unfolds. Menendez faces the trial of his life, and we ask: why would a man at the top of the political world risk everything? And is our political system partly to blame? Can a senator who is not wealthy succeed in a political system that is infused with gifts, luxury trips and money? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Lover Jun 13, 2025

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As Menendez walks free from his first corruption trial, he meets a new love—Nadine Arslanian. Nadine was a stay at home mom in Englewood cliffs, New Jersey. She drove her kids to a private French school in Manhattan – and had been spotted with cast members of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Within weeks of meeting the Senator, she’s arranging off-the-books meetings with Egyptian generals. What started as a rebound romance turns into the centerpiece of an international bribery case. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Fighter Jun 11, 2025

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We trace Bob Menendez’s rise from a tough New Jersey neighborhood to the heights of U.S. politics. With stories from those who knew and worked with him, we explore his brand as a relentless fighter—and how an earlier bribery indictment in 2015 sent him off the rails. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dismissal Feb 27, 2025

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It’s been eight months since the New Jersey State Attorney General indicted George Norcross on racketeering, extortion and political corruption charges. The 111-page indictment alleged that Norcross and his brother Phil ran a criminal enterprise that used political power to force individuals to give up their development rights on the Camden waterfront.

But that case has hit a roadblock.

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George Norcross Takes a Front Row Seat for His Own Indictment Jun 28, 2024

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On June 17, the New Jersey state attorney general announced an indictment of George Norcross, and the powerful party boss showed up. It was a remarkable moment because Norcross is charged in a racketeering case that, by definition, involves intimidation.

The 111-page indictment alleges that Norcross and five others run a criminal enterprise to “extort others through threats and fear of economic and reputational harm.”

Note: This episode does contain some foul language.

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Update: The Norcross Enterprise Takes a Hit Jun 18, 2024

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Big news for Dead End listeners.

On Monday, June 17, George Norcross was charged in a 13-count indictment from the attorney general of New Jersey, Matthew J. Platkin. Norcross, whose entry into politics was chronicled in the fifth episode of Dead End, was once widely regarded as the most powerful unelected person in New Jersey.

The indictment says the longtime Democratic power broker led a "criminal enterprise" that used threats and extortion to promote business and political interests in his home turf of Camden County, securing lucrative tax credits and development rights along the Camden waterfront.

In this episode, host Nancy Solomon talks with WNYC’s Sean Carlson about the news.

Expect a longer episode about what this indictment means for the Sheridan case, and for New Jersey, coming soon.

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UPDATE: The Camden Investigation Oct 04, 2023

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The new Attorney General for New Jersey opened an investigation into the Sheridan deaths, and another investigation into the real estate deals in Camden. While there's been no news on the murder investigation, the subpoenas are flying in Camden. State investigators appear to be looking into real estate deals on the waterfront, whether state tax breaks were given out fraudulently, and how land in Camden owned by public agencies was sold at a cut rate.

New voices in this episode:

Ron Chen, associate dean of Rutgers Law School and the co-chair of a task force that investigated the New Jersey tax break program.
Jim Walden, a private attorney in New York City and a former federal prosecutor who specializes in investigative law. He was the co-chair of the task force that investigated the New Jersey tax break program.

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EPISODE 8: Dead End Jun 07, 2022

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In February 2015, the Somerset prosecutor announced that John Sheridan had murdered his wife in cold blood and then killed himself. In 2017, the manner of death was updated to “undetermined.” From the local detectives to the state’s Attorney General’s office, a lot of people walked away from these murders. If a family as powerful and well-connected as the Sheridans gets such bad treatment, what does this say about the justice system in New Jersey?

New voices interviewed in episode:

• Ben Barlyn, lawyer who filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the Chris Christie administration.

• Peter Sheridan, younger brother of John, and a federal judge in New Jersey.

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EPISODE 7: Breaking News - "Thou Shalt Pursue" May 31, 2022

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In the almost eight years since John and Joyce Sheridan were killed, five state Attorneys General have come and gone in New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently nominated a new Attorney General, Matt Platkin. Last week, an email came from Platkin’s press office with surprising news.

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