NEW YORK — The owner of the New York Mets wants to expand his footprint in the Empire State with a casino at Citi Field. A left-flank lawmaker is standing in his way.
Now Steve Cohen, who became a billionaire managing hedge funds before buying the baseball team, is planning a multimillion-dollar offensive to save his increasingly elusive dream and considering ways to circumvent the state senator.
Cohen’s team of well-connected consultants and lobbyists have launched a campaign to win over the Queens constituents of state Sen. Jessica Ramos — a final effort to build support after failing to appeal to the senator, whose district represents the proposed gaming facility.
The team’s outreach is beginning in the neighborhoods of Corona, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights — before plans to target sports fans across the borough, according to details from Karl Rickett, a spokesperson for Cohen’s project pitch.
The nine-month effort, which is already underway , includes mailers and multilingual ads on Facebook and Instagram. None of the outreach pieces shared with POLITICO mention Ramos, but the intent is clear: to create excitement about the project that Cohen’s team can tap into if the Democratic senator opts not to support it.