A former Democratic leader of the state Senate with ties to Gov. Andrew Cuomo is aiding a primary campaign to oust state Sen. Mike Gianaris — the powerful deputy majority leader whose opposition to a proposed Amazon campus on his turf in Long Island City forced the e-tail giant to kill the project, The Post has learned.
The campaign committee for pro-Amazon challenger Justin Potter, Citizens for Queens, has retained veteran election lawyer Marty Connor as its attorney, records filed with the Board of Elections show. Connor filed the paperwork with the Board of Elections to launch Potter’s campaign.
Connor, who for 30 years represented parts of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, was the Democratic minority leader of the Senate for eight years in the 1990s through 2001. He was defeated by upstart Daniel Squadron when he sought re-election in 2008.
One of New York’s top election lawyers, Connor represented Cuomo’s campaign committee, notably when the incumbent Democratic governor sought but failed to knock 2014 primary challenger Zephyr Teachout off the ballot.
Records show the Cuomo campaign has paid Connor $160,000 for his services.
“People will take notice of Connor’s role in the anti-Gianaris campaign He’s the former Democratic leader of the Senate. He’s going against his former conference,” said one Albany insider.
“It’s also no secret that Cuomo hates Gianaris and vice versa,” the source added.
Cuomo championed the Amazon project, and his failure to overcome opposition and bring it to fruition is one of the biggest setbacks of his tenure as governor.
But Connor insisted he’s just a hired legal gun.
“I’m a lawyer. I’m not a politician. I do legal work,” Connor said.
“The guy hired me. I set up a campaign committee. I represent people all over the place who run for office.”
Potter said his allies reached out to a number of election lawyers and Connor agreed to represent his campaign.
Potter, 39, founder of the e-commerce company Nettleton Hollow, has switched his registration from Republican to Democrat to take on the heavily favored Gianaris in the 12th senatorial district covering Western Queens.
An Astoria resident and the son of Greek immigrants, Gianaris is a fixture in the district and he will have the backing of lefty activists who opposed the Amazon deal.
Potter, who also created the anti-Gianaris website defeatgianaris.com, insisted he’s running a campaign based on grassroots support and not as a proxy candidate for Cuomo or anyone else.
He said the loss of the Amazon campus is a game-changer that will haunt Gianaris.
“My candidacy is about how unhappy people are with how Sen. Gianaris handled the Amazon deal. I think 25,000 jobs would have been great for Queens. Sen. Gianaris did not give his constituents a fair hearing on the Amazon project,” Potter said.
“If people want a strident partisan, then Gianaris is your candidate. If voters want a candidate who wants solutions rather than scapegoats, I’m your candidate.”
Cuomo adviser Rich Azzopardi said Connor’s role in the anti-Gianaris campaign is “news to us.”
Gianaris, who objected to the $3 billion in city and state government subsidies offered to Amazon and the lack of input in the project, declined to comment.