ALBANY — Zephyr Teachout, who is running against Gov. Cuomo in the Democratic primary, hired an anti-Israel political strategist to help her get on the ballot, The Post has learned.
Records show that a firm co-owned by Robert Akleh was paid $60,800 by Teachout’s campaign to gather signatures on nominating petitions to qualify for September’s primary ballot.
Akleh was working as the campaign manager for Bronx state Senate candidate Oliver Koppell last month when The Post reported on Akleh’s critical comments about Israel on his Facebook page.
“We live in the United States of Israel,” Akleh wrote in 2011.
The next year, he complained that he went to a Mets game and “it turns out to be celebrate Israel night.”
Koppell fired Akleh, a former field director for the Working Families Party, on June 25 after being notified of the Facebook posts.
But Teachout kept him on as a contractor.
Akleh’s company received $60,800 for his efforts on behalf of the long-shot gubernatorial contender, according to campaign filings.
A Teachout aide declined to comment on Akleh, other than to point out that Akleh is no longer with the campaign.