After Skipping King Rally, Cuomo Donates $10,000 to Sharpton Group

The leading Democratic candidate for state attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, who skipped a Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally in order to give a paid speech in Las Vegas, has donated $10,000 to the nonprofit organization run by the rally's host, the Reverend Al Sharpton.

Mr. Cuomo, the former federal housing secretary under President Clinton, since January has raised more than $2 million for the race, and has about $6 million left in his campaign coffers. Polls, including one released yesterday by Marist College, have put Mr. Cuomo in front of the pack.

He has spent time and money repairing relationships he frayed in 2002, when he ran as an insurgent against the Democratic establishment's gubernatorial candidate, H. Carl McCall, who is African American.

The donation to Mr. Sharpton's nonprofit group, the National Action Network, was made April 6, after Mr. Cuomo was criticized for skipping the January 16 rally hosted by Mr. Sharpton, which has become a can't-miss political event. Politicians who attended this year's event, in a small church on West 116th Street, include Mayor Bloomberg, Senators Schumer and Clinton, and even the Republican attorney general candidate, Jeanine Pirro.

Mr. Cuomo was in Las Vegas delivering a paid speech to real estate developers. Two days later, a headline in the New York Post read: "Rev. Al Fumes Over Andy Diss."

Mr. Cuomo's running mate from 2002, Charlie King, who is African American, is now one of Mr. Cuomo's biggest critics. He is also one of his competitors in the Democratic primary. Mr. King has appeared at press conferences with Mr. Sharpton, and consistently invoked the image of the civil rights movement on the campaign trail. Between February and March, Mr. King made three contributions to Mr. Sharpton's group, totaling $60,000.

The two other Democratic attorney general candidates, a former public advocate, Mark Green, and a former White House aide, Sean Maloney, have not contributed to the organization. Ms. Pirro also did not contribute to the National Action Network.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Sharpton said he has not announced whom he will support for attorney general. A spokeswoman for Mr. Cuomo said he was not available to comment.

The group describes its mission as "aiding the poor, supporting economically small community businesses, confronting racism."