Hell hath no fury like James Dolan scorned.
The controversial Knicks boss is pouring cash into the effort to help GOP Congressional candidate Nicole Malliotakis beat incumbent Democratic Staten Island Rep. Max Rose — all because Rose recently trash-talked his ownership of the perennially losing New York Knicks.
“Max Rose thinks he can make our team and my ownership his political platform,” Dolan wrote in a personal email to friends last week that was obtained by The Post. “I need to let him know that we will not stand for this. The best way to do this is to help his opponent. He is in a tight race for the US Congress in Staten Island. … Please join me in helping Nicole defeat Max Rose for Congress.
“It will help send a strong message to all NY politicians that the Knicks will not be their political ticket to reelection. The most you can donate is $2,800,” Dolan added. “I cannot do this alone due to the limit on campaign contributions.”
But he sure is trying.
A $50,000 check from MSG Sports was cut Tuesday to “The Governing Majority Fund,” a PAC run by former Reps. John Faso and Jeff Denham, Dolan confirmed. The PAC’s mission is to help Republicans take back the House.
“Faso said Dolan got pissed off at Max Rose because he said something about the Knicks being a sh–ty team and then Dolan turned around and wrote a $50,000 check to his PAC,” a source close to Faso told The Post.
The email — whose recipients also included other NBA owners — came with a personalized fundraising link, with the initials “JD” in the URL.
Dolan has already given this cycle, maxing out to upstate Rep. Elise Stefanik in February, FEC reports show. Dolan’s donation to Malliotakis does not yet show up in official filings.
The imbroglio began after Rose complained to TMZ of the billionaire’s mismanagement of the basketball team, accusing him of “driving the team into the ground.”
“I’m a Knicks fan to the day I die, but Dolan’s gotta sell,” Rose said. “Right now, this is an absolute disgrace. They don’t make the playoffs. Nothing’s happening. Every year that they don’t make the playoffs, New York City loses out. We lose a piece of our soul. Sell tomorrow. Sell today. Do it for the good of all of us, brother!”
In an interview with The Post, Dolan said neither Malliotakis nor Rose had been on his radar before the dustup, but that it was inappropriate for a sitting Congressman to politicize the team.
“It’s not like we’re unaware that fans are unhappy with the Knicks performance,” Dolan said.
It’s “very disrespectful to his own constituents that they would think that this is something that would help them make up their mind about who should represent them in Congress,” he said.
Dolan told The Post New Yorkers should expect to see him become more politically active in the future, as his Madison Square Garden “hemorrhages” money as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns.
“I think we’re going to start taking more aggressive positions, particularly in New York politics,” he said. “New York is really a one party city, particularly the city, I don’t think that’s healthy democracy. I think that you will see us be very pro-two party democracy and do more to help balance the scales.”
In June the Knicks boss offered to host a concert at the Garden to benefit pandemic research — which he said could be done safely by allowing only those with antibodies to attend.
The sports boss added that Rose was dreaming if he thought he had any intention of abandoning the Knicks.
“I have absolutely no plans to sell the team,” he said.
Reps for Malliotakis, who ran for mayor in 2017 and is currently a state Assemblywoman from Staten Island, directed inquiries to Team Dolan.
But Rose was undaunted by Dolan’s electioneering.
“Glad to see James Dolan is taking his talents to boost Nicole’s campaign. God knows he’s got the Midas touch,” the Congressman snarked. “Never forget the Eddy Curry trade!
“Proud to say that I don’t take money from Corporate PACs, federal lobbyists, or worst of all — James Dolan.”
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September 27, 2020 at 01:49AM
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Angry James Dolan cuts check for Malliotakis campaign after Max Rose trash-talk - New York Post
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