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A Manhattan candidate for City Council is fund-raising off his father’s death, critics charge.
Mark Levine sent a campaign e-mail blast to supporters noting the passing of his father, Marshal — with a solicitation pitch at the bottom.
Right underneath the postscript — “P.S. You can read the remarks I delivered at my father’s memorial service” — is a “contribute” link to donate up to $2,750 to Levine’s campaign.
“My father passed away but can you send me money nevertheless,” said one disgusted recipient who thought the letter was tasteless. “WTF!”
“I was sad to hear about his dad dying, but then became really saddened to see that even mourning a loved one can’t get in the way to ask for donations,” the source added. “Maybe I’ll send a donation instead of a condolence card.”
Levine, the front-runner for the northern Manhattan seat stretching from the Upper West Side to Washington Heights, lamented that his doctor dad wouldn’t get to see him elected to public office.
“He was a passionate supporter of my political career. When declining health kept him from participating physically in my campaigns, he called thousands of voters on my behalf from home,” Levine wrote.
“But in a very real way I believe he lives on in the work that I — and we — are doing to advance a progressive agenda for New York City. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to help make my dad’s vision of a more just world a reality.”
A Levine spokesman insisted the tribute to his dad was not meant to be a fund-raising pitch.
“Mark sent out a heartfelt message paying tribute to his father at a time of mourning,” the spokesman, Alex Castex-Porter, said of the contribution notice.
“Several links were inadvertently appended to the message footer.”
Levine, founder of the uptown Barack Obama Democratic Club, has landed the biggest endorsements and raised the most money for the primary race, which includes eight other candidates. He ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2009.
His backers include Actor Ed Norton, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat and East Harlem Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito.
He is seeking to replace Robert Jackson, who is term-limited and is running for Manhattan borough president.
Levine, a former math and science high-school teacher, helped found a credit union for low-income people and was an executive at Teach for America. He now works at The Gotham Strategy Group, a firm he co-founded that provides advice to nonprofit groups.