Tax Breaks for New Jersey Party Boss and Other Companies Under Investigation

WNYC News | Jul 10, 2020

A dozen companies that won controversial tax breaks from the state of New Jersey have had their credits suspended and are under investigation, according to the final report of a task force created by Gov. Phil Murphy released Thursday. 

The Murphy administration has put a freeze on $578 million worth of tax breaks awarded by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority under former Governor Chris Christie. Some of those companies are now under criminal investigation, according to Jim Walden, lead investigator for the Governor’s Task Force on EDA Tax Incentives. 

Murphy created the task force last year after a state comptroller’s report found problems with the size of the tax breaks and a lack of oversight at the EDA. An investigation by WNYC and ProPublica last year found that more than a billion dollars worth of tax breaks went to companies in Camden connected to the powerful Democratic party boss, George Norcross. 

Listen to WNYC's Nancy Solomon explain the task force's announcement on the audio player above.

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