Show Notes
John Sheridan’s decision to go work at Cooper University Hospital came at a curious time. It was just months after news about the Palmyra tapes came out. The tapes caught George Norcross bullying and offering a favor to a small town official; they are a rare instance where evidence emerged of the rough and tumble side to the south Jersey political machine. An email shows Norcross' control over the state legislature and city council members in Camden explain what it means to be a "yes yes" person. • Kelly Francis, union organizer and Camden activist • Kevin Riordan, Philadelphia Inquirer reporter who has covered south Jersey off and on for the past 45 years • Micah Rasmussen, director of Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Ryder University • Tom Knoche, lecturer at Rutgers University in Camden • Matt Katz, reporter at WNYC • Shaneka Boucher, Camden City Councilwoman • Marilyn Torres, Camden City Councilwoman • Jeffrey Brenner, doctor who worked and lived in Camden during its worst years
More from Dead End: Crime and Politics
Friends of Dead End, Nancy Solomon here. This Wednesday I’m hosting an event at WNYC in NYC – 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.
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.
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.
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.
The latest update from Nancy Solomon and Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery