ALBANY - A spokesman for former New York Gov. George Pataki said Monday the Republican was bounced as a state delegate supporting John McCain at the GOP's national convention.

The McCain and Pataki camps had reached an understanding that Pataki would be on the Arizona senator's wish list of delegates, Pataki spokesman David Catalfamo said.

But Catalfamo says Pataki never expected New York Republican Chairman Joseph Mondello to allow him to attend this summer's Minneapolis-St. Paul convention.

“I don't think we had any illusions that Chairman Mondello would select Pataki to be a delegate,” he said, while noting it was strange that Republicans wouldn't want the former governor's help.

Pataki “is a three-time governor of one of the bluest states in the nation and is - if not the most - one of the most prolific fundraisers in the last few presidential elections,” Catalfamo said.

The conflict was first reported by the New York Daily News. Mondello had helped Pataki transition to his role as governor after he defeated former Gov. Mario Cuomo - a Democrat - in 1994.

But Pataki and the Nassau County GOP chairman had a falling out and Mondello was unceremoniously stripped of his seat on the Republican National Committee in 2004 and replaced with Pataki loyalist Alexander Treadwell.

State GOP Executive Director Matthew Walter says that incident had no bearing on this year's delegate selection.

“The chairman has a tremendous amount of respect for the governor for his service to the state,” he said.

Pataki never contacted the state party to say he wanted to be an at-large delegate, Walter said.

But Pataki did make his desire clear to the McCain campaign while the two staffs were discussing Pataki's eventual endorsement of McCain.

“There is a nearly endless list of individuals within the state who have served their party faithfully and respectfully that said they wanted to be included in the (delegate) process ... Pataki was not one of those individuals,” Walter said.

He said Mondello didn't learn Pataki was interested in being a delegate until an hour before the party meeting where the committee voted.

Peter Feldman, a McCain spokesman declined to say whether Pataki - who tried to keep McCain off the New York ballot in the 2000 primary against George Bush - was among those sought for the convention.

“We submitted a list to the party of names of qualified folks that we wanted to see considered for inclusion in the state delegation,” he said. “The decision that was made was made by the party, and we support their decision.”