Tap on Norcross’ phones stemmed from Philly union probe, records show
But documents reviewed by the Inquirer and
Related stories
------
* FBI digs deep in probe of Dougherty and union
* Feds tapped
The documents -- court filings related to the confidential wiretapping two years ago of both men's phones -- were signed by the same prosecutor, authorized by the same judge, and bear identical case numbers.
What drew investigators' attention to Norcross remains unclear. But the records indicate for the first time a connection between the FBI's interest into perhaps the preeminent nonelected figure in Democratic politics in
A spokesperson for the
Norcross' lawyer,
A lawyer for Dougherty said he was unaware until contacted by a reporter Wednesday that Norcross' phones had been tapped in connection with the investigation of the Electricians union.
"To the extent that that's the case, we certainly weren't aware that his were among the phones being intercepted," said defense attorney Henry E. Hockeimer Jr.
Dougherty and Norcross, through their representatives, have more than once denied any wrongdoing. Still, any connection between the men wouldn't surprise those who follow local politics.
Dougherty, 58, took command of Local 98 of the
In his 25 years at the helm of his union, he has built the 4,700-member organization into a potent political force, placing numerous Democratic allies in elected and appointed municipal positions, and amassing one of
Norcross, 62, has played a similar role as a political kingmaker in
A
At times, the men have combined their political clout toward shared goals. Both were involved in planning the 2016
Last month, investigators in
According to those documents, called intercept letters, the secret recordings began in
The wiretaps shut down on
Search warrants from those raids -- obtained by the Inquirer and
Possible charges include embezzlement, attempted extortion of contractors, fraud, tax evasion, and honest services fraud by public officials, the legal documents say.
And sources have indicated that the investigation bears the hallmarks of a racketeering conspiracy case, scrutinizing the levers by which Dougherty and his union exert their clout.
Those same sources, who were not authorized to discuss the case publicly, have also said that since the wiretaps concluded, the focus of the probe has shifted toward how Local 98 spent its funds than its involvement in politics.
While the Dougherty wiretaps went silent in 2016, the Norcross wiretaps resumed in October of that year and continued for about a month, the intercept letters show. But if that marked an entirely new investigation or was simply an outgrowth was unclear.
Critchley on Tuesday disclosed that federal prosecutors in
He also shared a
In 2013, Norcross and his allies in the Legislature had worked with then-Gov.
Norcross' insurance firm,
Staff writers
___
(c)2018 The Philadelphia Inquirer
Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.philly.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Hurricane Michael: Florida moves into rescue and recovery
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News