TRENTON — If you somehow happen to find yourself at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in south Florida, you might catch a glimpse of a powerful south Jersey political powerbroker.
George Norcross, arguably the most influential non-elected Democrat in New Jersey, is among the nearly 500 people that shell out the $200,000 membership cost to belong to the private club in Palm Beach, according to a report by the New York Times.
Trump and Norcross, a 60-year-old insurance executive from Camden County, have been friends for years — dating back to Trump’s days as a casino owner in Atlantic City. Norcross has also held insurance contracts for Trump’s caisnos.
The two have often golfed together, and Norcross was an invited guest to Trump’s 2005 wedding to now-First Lady Melania Trump.
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Plus, when Norcross and his wife bought a home in Palm Beach for $10.9 million more than a decade ago, he asked Trump to give his opinion on the deal, according to a report by the Palm Beach Daily News.
“I took Donald to this house,” Norcross told the newspaper. “We walked through three properties. He said it was spectacular — an exquisite location.”
Norcross is also the older brother of U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1st Dist.) and an ally of Gov. Chris Christie, New Jersey’s Republican governor and a longtime Trump friend and adviser.
Trump has repeatedly called Mar-a-Lago the Winter White House — a vacation destination for the president similar to Camp David. He is at the property this weekend — his third weekend in a row.
The Republican has often held official meetings there, like he did at his private golf club in Bedminster shortly after being elected president in November.
Among the members are dozens real estate developers, Wall Street executives, and other business leaders, according to the Times report. One member is Bruce Toll, the real estate executive who co-founded Toll Brothers, whose homes dot New Jersey and other states throughout the U.S.
The Times reported that many members belonged to the club before Trump was elected.
Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
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