Bill Palatucci

Early life and education Palatucci was born in New Jersey to an Italian Catholic family of five children. During World War II, Frank Palatucci chaired the ration board of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. Bill has attributed his Republican ideals to watching Crossfire with his father and observing the blue-collar patrons of his father's bar.

Following a speech at Rutgers University in 1980, then-senior Bill Palatucci became a volunteer to then-candidate Tom Kean and began chauffeuring him. After serving as Kean's reelection executive director for the 1985 gubernatorial election, Bill earned his J.D. from the Seton Hall University School of Law in 1989.

Career Politics and law Bill Palatucci's relationship as Chris Christie's "right hand" began with joint work on Christine Todd Whiman's unsuccessful campaign in the 1990 United States Senate election in New Jersey, continuing with Christie recruiting Palatucci to his law firm Dughi & Hewit in 1993. During the 1992 United States presidential election, Palatucci served as executive-director of the Bush-Quayle campaign in New Jersey, unsuccessful at the state and national levels. In 2002, Palatucci's recommendation to Karl Rove, Senior Advisor to then-President George W. Bush, supported Christie being nominated to serve as United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. Palatucci served as chairman of Christie's successful 2013 reelection campaign for Governor of New Jersey.

In November 2010, Palatucci was nominated to serve on the New Jersey Apportionment Commission, redrawing legislative and congressional districts based on the demographic information of the 2010 United States census.

Among his significant donations to political campaigns, Palatucci has generally supported Republican candidates running for New Jersey and federal offices. In 2010, Palatucci was elected to the Republican National Committee.

RNC and Trump During the 2016 Republican National Convention, Palatucci was one of four informally designated "whips" on the party's rules committee who had been tapped by the Donald Trump campaign to quash a possible insurrection by the Never Trump movement. With Chris Christie initially leading the 2016 presidential transition of Donald Trump, Palatucci served as White House Transition Coordinator and General Counsel until both were terminated on November 11, 2016. In 2023, Palatucci, who has been a longtime RNC member and Trump skeptic commented on the attempts to remove Trump-appointed RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel stating it is difficult to remove a party chair, however “it’s not over until it’s over.” In 2010, CEC's political contributions were at $110,000. A 2012 lawsuit filed by two law enforcement unions alleged that CEC placed inmates at risk of violence and drug use.

In 2011, New Jersey's state comptroller issued a report highlighting that about half of the state's $62M half-way home contracts were held by EHCA. Avoiding mandates that state-funded halfway homes be operated by non-profits, contracts awarded to EHCA had their financial returns diverted to CEC executives. Following this media criticism, Palatucci stepped down from CEC in 2012.

On May 18, 2009, after only two days at Essex County's CEC-operated Delaney Hall, Derek West Harris was murdered by three other inmates. The state was criticized for sentencing one of the killers to life in prison, while clearing Delaney Hall officials of any wrongdoing despite the gang-controlled environment fostering violence.

Personal life Palatucci is married and has three daughters. Palatucci's wife, Laura, supported Rudy Giuliani's failed bid in the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries.

From 2015 to 2021, Palatucci served on the Seton Hall University School of Law's Board of Visitors. He is currently a member of the National Advisory Board of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.