Former New York Senator and Republican kingmaker Alfonse D’Amato is everywhere these days.
Flanking upstate Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand (a former D’Amato intern) when she was named to fill Hillary Rodham Clinton’s term in the U.S. Senate. Backing New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s request to run on the Republican line for his re-election bid. And now working as a paid lobbyist for the World Trade Center Memorial Fund, which is raising money for a 9/11 memorial and museum in lower Manhattan.
The nonprofit group agreed to pay D’Amato’s lobbying firm, Park Strategies, $50,000 for a six-month stint that began in January, the New York Daily News reported yesterday.
D’Amato was hired because of his familiarity with commemorative coin legislation, foundation spokesman Lynn Rasic told the News.
She said the group is trying to win support for the minting of a coin in time for the 10th anniversary of the attacks, with the expectation that the coin could bring in several million dollars. Getting Congressional authorization is often quite competitive, however, because numerous nonprofits - backed by lawmakers - compete for a limited number of slots. A maximum of two sets of coins are minted a year.
The Long Island Republican was one of the main backers of a Jackie Robinson commemorative coin in 1997 in memory of the first black player in major league baseball. “He’s effective and has experience with this particular program,” Rasic said.
The World Trade Center Memorial Fund has surpassed its initial fund-raising goal of $350 million, primarily by reaching out to large donors. But it wants to raise at least another $25 million to start an endowment to pay for ongoing expenses like museum exhibitions, she said. To that end, it is also seeking federal stimulus funds.
D’Amato has been paid $20,000 of a $10,000-a-month, six-month retainer. Rasic said he had donated his services for the first month.
Critics, however, questioned why D’Amato is not donating his time.
“I think a lot of people are going to be a little cynical about earning money off the Sept. 11 memorial,” Gene Russianoff of the New York Public Interest Research Group told the News.
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