ALBANY – As Gov. Paterson shakes the tin cup for fiscal austerity on the government level, he’s gearing up to clink cocktail glasses with fat-cat donors in a series of swank Hamptons fund-raisers, The Post has learned.
Paterson has scheduled four soirees and barbecues hosted by bold-faced names in the exclusive summer getaway, according to a fund-raising letter the governor’s campaign sent to major contributors last weekend.
Hosts include hedge-fund mogul James Simons, charity-gala guru Jaci Reid, IMAX executive Richard Gelfond and celebrity publicist Ken Sunshine.
Former Gov. Hugh Carey, who steered the state through the 1970s fiscal crisis, also will host an Aug. 3 picnic for Paterson at his son Donald’s house on Shelter Island.
The beachside fund-raising blitz follows July campaign finance reports that revealed Paterson raked in a surprisingly hefty $3.2 million since the ex-lieutenant governor was unexpectedly thrust into the Executive Mansion in March.
The haul – 623 donations averaging about $5,000 each – drew criticism that Paterson was spending more time raising cash than addressing state issues.
Some have suggested that’s because Mayor Bloomberg or his predecessor, Rudy Giuliani, could run for governor in 2010.
Paterson also could face a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who has $3 million in his own war chest.
“It is crucial for us to maintain this momentum, and we’d like to fill you in on our plans for the rest of the summer,” read the Hamptons invite.
Additional reporting by Fredric U. Dicker