Flanagan alleges connection between Booker op-ed, Norcross fundraiser

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tricia Flanagan today accused Cory Booker of writing a Star-Ledger guest column praising the revitalization of Camden to get Democratic leader George Norcross to co-host a fundraiser for his presidential campaign.

“A $2,800 per person fundraiser not long after co-authoring a guest column singing the praises of a political powerbroker involved in a very public fight with the state’s governor is a good deal for Cory Booker,” Flanagan said. “Now we know his price.”

The New Jersey Globe first reported on Friday that Norcross and Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo are holding a fundraiser for Booker in Belleville on June 28.

Booker has the backing of both Norcross and Gov. Phil Murphy, two New Jerseyans who are bitter rivals.  Both have raised money for him over the years.

Flanagan and engineer Hirsh Singh are the only entries so far in the race to challenge Booker for the U.S. Senate next year.

Booker has not announced if he will seek re-election to a third term, but state law allows him to run for President and Senate simultaneously.

Flanagan wants Booker to agree not to accept contributions from presidential campaign donors to his Senate race.

“If he’s unwilling to do the right thing in the area of campaign finance, Cory Booker should make a commitment to the voters of New Jersey one way or the other, does he want continue with his vanity presidential campaign or does he want to be senator,” Flanagan said.  “If he chooses the latter he can come home and join me in a discussion of the issues important to New Jerseyans.”

Flanagan ran for Senate as an independent in 2018 and finished sixth in a field of seven with 0.51% of the vote.