Garden State Gov. Jon Corzine sure has a way of tossing money around in a way that benefits beautiful women or the organizations they run.
The latest beneficiary of the billionaire pol’s largesse is a newly formed nonprofit, the Millennium Promise Alliance Inc. — whose co-executive director is a former Corzine staffer, Amanda Steck.
Corzine’s recently released financial records show he gave the charity $300,000 in December 2008. Steck, 36, a statuesque stunner who once was on Corzine’s US Senate payroll, joined Millennium a few months before the Corzine donation came in.
Corzine sparked controversy several years ago when it was revealed that he gave raven-tressed Carla Katz — a former union boss and his longtime gal pal — a $6 million parting gift when they broke up.
Steck is a former law clerk who is believed to have worked with Corzine for two years until 2004, and a regular face on the New York social scene. Her father, Frederick, was a colleague of Corzine at Goldman Sachs.
Steck’s brief marriage to Skadden, Arps lawyer John Gardiner ended when he filed for divorce in December 2008, records show. She has recently been photographed with art collector Glenn Fuhrman.
Asked whether Corzine and Steck have a romantic or dating relationship, a Corzine spokeswoman said, “No comment.”
Corzine has been dating New York psychiatrist Sharon Elghanayan, 67, for several years. Steck couldn’t be reached and Gardiner did not return calls.
Corzine’s Millennium contribution was the fourth largest of 74 donations he made last year. He has a longtime friendship with one of the charity’s founders, Ray Chambers.
Asked whether Steck’s post at the nonprofit was coincidental, a Corzine flack referred calls to Millennium, where officials didn’t respond.