Non-race against Hillary cost Cox $1.1 million

WASHINGTON – Ed Cox, a millionaire lawyer and son-in-law of Richard Nixon, spent about $1.1 million of his fortune for the privilege of not running against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, records show.

Cox, who officially dropped out of the New York race last month but has left open the remote possibility of re-entering, hired high-priced GOP consultants connected to the Bush administration: White House political guru Karl Rove, former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki.

That helped Cox develop a system to target local voters in the state and begin a national anti-Hillary fundraising push. But he was forced to abandon it because Pataki refused to endorse him against GOP primary opponent John Spencer, former Yonkers mayor, which made it harder to appeal to donors.

Cox reportedly has left open the possibility of re-entering the campaign, but only if Pataki gets off the fence and lends his endorsement, sources say.