GOP mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis will host a fund-raiser here for Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell — who voted against the $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package.
Catsimatidis defended the event, to be held Sunday night at his posh Fifth Avenue apartment overlooking Central Park. Guests are asked to kick in $1,000 to $5,000 to the Kentucky senator’s campaign.
The Gristedes supermarket boss insisted McConnell was helpful in getting other GOP senators to back the Sandy recovery bill.
“I always help my friends. I don’t forget to say thank you to those people who helped us,” Catsimatidis said, before quickly insisting: “But this was not a quid pro quo.”
The fund-raiser for the Kentucky lawmaker also is being sponsored by state GOP Chairman Ed Cox, whose son is married to Catsimatidis’ daughter.
Catsimatidis said New York Sen. Charles Schumer asked him to call McConnell and lobby him for help with the aid package.