ALBANY— Brooklyn’s biggest pitch man just threw a knuckle ball at the voters: Marty Markowitz is backing indicted state Sen. John Sampson’s re-election bid.
The former Brooklyn borough president, who now has a job promoting the outer boroughs for the city’s tourism bureau even contributed $250 to Sampson’s struggling campaign.
“You are innocent until proven guilty and we will see where the chips fall,” Markowitz told The Post, explaining why he’s backing a candidate who faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on federal corruption charges.
Both Mayor de Blasio and Gov. Cuomo are backing Dell Smitherman, a political coordinator with health care workers union Local 1199, in next Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
Social services advocate Sean Henry is the third candidate in the race.
The feds charged Sampson with embezzlement for allegedly stealing $400,000 from a housing fund when he served as a court-appointed referee. He’s also been indicted for lying to the FBI about his financial interest in a liquor store.
As if that wasn’t enough, Sampson was also caught on tape in 2012 attempting to arrange a meeting between ex-Queens state Sen. Shirley Huntley and a businessman allegedly offering bribes to secure government contracts, according to authorities.
Huntley was later convicted in a separate corruption scam.
Brooklyn US Attorney Loretta Lynch, whose office is prosecuting Sampson, called his actions “one of the most extreme examples of political hubris we have yet seen.”
Sampson maintains his innocence.
The incumbent’s campaign is running on fumes. He reported a campaign balance of $2,717 last month after lending his campaign $15,000.
While most of the labor unions are with Smitherman, Sampson does have the backing of District Council 37 and the Council of Supervisors and Administrators.
Smitherman had $45,561 on hand, according to his last filing.
Markowitz left office at the end of 2013, but still had $405,533.54 in his campaign account as of July. Under Board of Elections regulations, he can keep doling out contributions for as long as he wants.