A New York state assemblyman from Niagara County, who struck immunity from prosecution deals as part of criminal investigations in the past, is now in line for a new job as a State Supreme Court judge.
While Assemblyman Mike Norris, R-Lockport, said in an interview earlier this month that he intended to seek reelection this year, the newspaper learned Wednesday that he is among a group of four state supreme court nominees who were endorsed for positions on the November general election ballot this week by Republican and Democratic delegates representing Western New York’s Eighth Judicial District.
Niagara County Republican Committee Chairman Richard Andres confirmed Wednesday morning that GOP judicial delegates endorsed Norris as one of four candidates for state supreme court judge during a meeting on Tuesday night at Chef’s restaurant. Andres said the delegates also backed incumbent Republican Henry J. Nowak and two incumbent Democrats, Deborah A. Chimes and Catherine Nugent-Panepinto, all from Erie County. If elected in November, each of the four candidates would serve 14-year terms.
The newspaper also confirmed that Democratic delegates endorsed the same slate of state supreme court candidates during their judicial convention Wednesday evening.
Andres cited Norris’ tenure as an assemblyman and as a partner in the Lockport law firm, Seaman Norris LLP, as factors in determining whether he would be a good fit to serve behind the bench.
“The assemblyman is an accomplished lawyer and has been involved in that space for a long time so with his experience in government we certainly felt he was fit for the job,” Andres said.
When asked about Norris’ prior immunity deals, Andres said he was aware of “some issues” in his past while suggesting they have been “resolved.”
Andres said none of those issues were deal breakers for local Republicans and that, having known Norris for quite some time, he believed he had the temperament and the knowledge necessary to be a fair jurist.
“His experience certainly was relevant to being a judge,” Andres said.
The newspaper spoke with a staff member from Norris’ office Wednesday afternoon, however, Norris didn’t respond to questions.
Norris, a Lockport attorney and former Niagara County Republican Party chairman, has served as the 144th District state assemblyman since 2016.
The newspaper previously reported that he struck immunity deals with prosecutors on two separate occasions in the past, including:
• A 2000 investigation that examined how Norris, Niagara County’s Republican elections commissioner at the time, and his Democratic counterpart, Judith Cirifalco, continued to collect full pay despite an earlier vote by county lawmakers to cut their pay by 10%.
In that case, Cirifalco and Niagara County Legislator James Ward were charged with misdemeanors while Norris was not charged because he was granted immunity from prosecution by the district attorney’s office.
• A second investigation in 2017 when, as head of the Niagara County Republican Party, Norris received a subpoena seeking information from an Albany County grand jury about a probe into a so-called “pass-through scheme” involving funds from the campaign committee of former state senator George Maziarz. Prosecutors alleged that Maziarz campaign funds were secretly funneled to former state senate staffer and Niagara County lawmaker Glen Aronow after his dismissal from Maziarz’s office following accusations from a female co-worker who claimed he sexually harassed her.
Norris was not charged in that case.
In 2019, multiple news outlets, including the Niagara Gazette and Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, reported that Norris told the FBI during a separate investigation that he took part in an effort to steer a lucrative Niagara County grant writing contract to individuals with ties to another former Niagara County GOP Chairman, current Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. CEO and President Henry Wojtaszek.
“Jeff Glatz, the Niagara County manager, and Wojtaszek are very close,” Norris said as part of statements made to the FBI that were provided to local news outlets by Maziarz in 2019. “Glatz is from North Tonawanda. Wojtaszek told Glatz to put a Request for Proposal (RFP) together for a new grant writer for Niagara County. Wojtaszek told Glatz that they needed to get Winter (Four Points Communications) in there.”
Due to a conflict of interest with prosecutors in Niagara County, Maziarz’s allegations of bid-rigging were investigated by Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley who determined, in July 2020, that no criminal charges were warranted in the case. In a letter announcing her decision, Doorley noted that while she considered the consulting practices of the grant writing company Four Points Communication to be “suspect,” they did not “rise to the level to warrant criminal prosecution.”
His lucrative side jobs
Outgoing Republican state Assemblyman Mike Norris won’t be able to keep his lucrative side jobs — 10 in all in Niagara County — presuming he becomes a state Supreme Court justice next year.
The assemblyman did not respond to a request for comment, but his law firm, Lockport-based Seaman Norris, confirmed this week that Norris will be withdrawing as a partner if elected to the bench in November.
Norris, 48, a Lockport attorney and former Niagara County Republican Party chairman, has served as the 144th District state assemblyman since 2016. He has twice been embroiled in public corruption investigations, both times trading his cooperation with investigators for immunity from prosecution.
His move from Albany lawmaker to a position behind the bench is virtually assured as Norris has been endorsed as one of four candidates for four state supreme court justice positions up for election in November.
Daniel Seaman, a senior partner with Seaman Norris, said Norris will be removed as a partner if he is elected judge, in keeping with state judicial conduct rules, which bar state Supreme Court justices from maintaining or receiving any income from private practice. Norris has been a partner in the firm since 2013.
“The firm will be reconstituted with the remaining members and staff, and a new name upon Mike’s departure,” Seaman said in a statement issued by the law firm in response to questions. “We will continue to maintain our private and municipal practices, as before with our other partners, associates and paralegal staff.”
As a state lawmaker, Norris receives an annual salary of $142,000. His side earnings total at least $220,000. He would earn $232,600 per year as a state Supreme Court justice.
During his tenure as an Assemblyman, state records show Norris bulked up his annual income considerably by providing legal and secretarial services to various local municipal governments and public entities.
New York Focus reported last year that Norris disclosed earning between $100,000 and $150,000 at the firm during his first four years in office. While his legal income dipped in 2021, his disclosure reports showed a combination of investment income and the sale of a Lake Ontario beach house “more than made up the difference.”
On his 2023 financial disclosure, Norris claimed income from his position as a partner in Seaman Norris for providing legal and secretarial work for 10 municipalities and public agencies in Niagara County.
New York’s financial disclosure laws require state lawmakers to identify sources of outside income. However, they are only required to disclose income in ranges, starting with “none” and extending to $10 million or more.
In his 2023 report, Norris indicated that he earned between $5,000 and $20,000 each for work performed as a partner in Seaman Norris for the Village of Barker, Lockport City School District, Town of Lockport, Village of Middleport and the Tonawanda Housing Authority.
In two instances — Town of Lewiston and Town of Hartland — Norris claimed income between $20,000 and $50,000.
Norris claimed earnings of between $50,000 and $75,000 each for the Niagara County Water District, Town of Lockport Industrial Development Agency and Town of Somerset.
Add it all up and Norris earned between $215,000 and $425,000.
Norris was among a group of Republican state lawmakers who filed a lawsuit last year in an effort to block a cap on outside income for members of the state Legislature. The restriction was tied to legislation passed in December 2022 that raised the annual salaries of Senate and Assembly members from $110,000 to $142,000, the highest pay in the nation for state legislators. Under the cap, members of the state legislature will not be allowed to make more than $35,000 from other jobs starting in 2025.
While Democrats believe the cap would help curb corruption in Albany, Norris and other Republicans who filed the lawsuit argued that it is unconstitutional and would reduce interest in seeking public office.
Norris did not respond when asked if he has withdrawn, or intends to withdraw, as a party in the lawsuit in light of his expected transition from the Assembly to the Supreme Court.
Norris twice struck immunity deals with prosecutors investigating allegations of public corruption: once in 2000, when he was Niagara County’s Republican elections commissioner, and again in 2017, when investigators were probing alleged misuse of campaign money by former state Sen. George Maziarz and his staff. At the time Norris was chair of the Niagara County Republican Committee.
During judicial conventions held earlier this month, Democratic and Republican delegates from across Western New York’s Eighth Judicial District cross-endorsed Norris and three other candidates for Supreme Court justice for the four seats up for election.
Earlier this week, Norris’s chief of staff Paul Bologna announced that he intends to seek election as his replacement in the 144th Assembly district. The Republican will face former Lockport Mayor Michelle Roman, the endorsed Democrat.
