Rep. King Says Marco Rubio Not Welcome to Raise Money in New York

King tells New York donors shouldn't give to GOPers who voted against Sandy aid.

ByABC News
March 1, 2013, 1:32 PM

March 1, 2013— -- Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican, is furious that Sen. Marco Rubio is hitting up New Yorkers for campaign cash after voting against federal funds to rebuild the region after superstorm Sandy ravaged the area.

In fact, King urged New Yorkers not to give money to any of his fellow Republicans who voted against the Sandy aid.

"Nobody on Wall Street, nobody in the financial services, nobody anywhere in New York should give a nickel to these guys," he told ABC News.

King's tirade is the latest spat to roil the Republican Party which is already torn over the issues of gay marriage and immigration reform. King's fury is aimed at one of the party's possible presidential candidates.

"I am actually very angry and it's not just a question of being angry. I think New York has to send a signal that we are not going to allow national politicians to vote against New York, and really vote against New York in an arbitrary way, and then come to New York and ask New York to finance a campaign for president," King told ABC News today.

Politico reported this week that the Florida senator who has been called the "Republican savior" is trying to lock down high dollar Wall Street donors ahead of a potential 2016 campaign. King first voiced his anger in an e mail to supporters Thursday.

King says it's even worse than his other fellow Republicans who voted against the Sandy aid package because Rubio is from Florida, a state that has been ravaged by storms in the past and "has gotten billions and billions of dollars in hurricane aid," King said.

He said Rubio voted against the $50.4 billion in aid without talking to him or other leaders in the state like New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo or New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The storm slammed in to the region on Oct. 29.

Republican and Democratic presidential candidates have long and often come to New York and hit up Wall Street's deep pockets to fund their campaigns.

"This is the worst natural disaster we have in the history of our state and region and he just arbitrarily voted no, and then to come in and ask for money... To me, if New York does this then we are just suckers," King said.

"To me it's something we just can't accept and it's a signal that we have to send that any of the senators or congressmen who voted against the aid for Sandy are not going to get rewarded when they come to New York," King said. "It's insane."

"Over the years I've known so many politicians who almost make a career out of either criticizing New York or voting against New York, and then I find out they are all having fundraisers down on Wall Street or out in the Hamptons," King said.

The Republican congressman, who represents parts of New York City's Long Island suburbs, said he hasn't spoken to Rubio. King added that Rubio "didn't talk to me before voted against aid for New York."