Governor Paterson’s reelection campaign has received a surprising $3.2 million in donations—almost all from entities with clear interests in Albany legislation, including many, many developers—since April 14, shortly after he assumed office. Here, a selection of donors who gave $10,000 or more, with individuals’ backgrounds in footnotes beneath.
James Simons (1), $55,900
LAWPAC of New York, $54,900
Knickerbocker Parking LLC,$50,000
Port Authority PBA, Inc. State of NY PAC, $50,000
Royce Mulholland (2), $50,000
Leonard Riggio (3), $50,000
Louise Riggio (4), $50,000
Bernard Schwartz (5), $45,900
Cablevision System New York PAC, $40,300
Virginia James (6), $35,000
Roger Hertog (7), $35,000
Robinson Markel (8), $35,000
Richard Gilder (9), $35,000
Knickerbocker Management LLC, $30,000
Uniformed Firefighters Assn. Firepac—State, $30,000
Anthony Welters (10), $30,000
Adam Rose (11), $30,000
Jeffrey Gural (12), $27,500
New York State Court Officers Association,$25,000
Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company,$25,000
New York State Troopers PAC, $25,000
NYC District Council of Carpenters PAC, $25,000
Macandrews and Forbes LLC,$25,000
Empire Dental PAC, $25,000
Urban Associates LLC, $25,000
WTC Management and Development, $25,000
Advent Capital Management LLC, $25,000
Roger Tilles (13), $25,000
Michael Falcone (14), $25,000
Mary Patricia Wheeler (15), $25,000
Leo Hindery (16), $25,000
Larry Silverstein (17), $25,000
Jonathan Tisch (18), $25,000
Jonah Mandelbaum (19), $25,000
Jeffrey Lynford (20), $25,000
Henry Jarecki (21), $25,000
Gary Barnett (22), $25,000
Eric Hadar (23), $25,000
Constance Milstein (24), $25,000
Christophe Boies (25), $25,000
Charles Moerdler (26), $25,000
Burton Resnick (27), $25,000
Ben Barnes (28), $25,000
Emergency Medical Services SOJ ACCT. Local 2507, $20,000
New York Thoroughbred Racing Industry PAC, $20,000
Richard Gelfond (29), $20,000
Ravenel “Boykin” Curry (30), $20,000
Peter Fine (31), $20,000
J. C. Huizenga (32), $20,000
Donald Capoccia (33),$20,000
Daniel Tishman (34), $20,000
The Life Insurance Council of New York PAC, $15,000
Empire State Petroleum Association, Inc. PAC, $15,000
Natalie Soref (35), $15,000
Jerry Weiss (36), $15,000
Donald Carey (37), $15,000
Tonio Burgos and Associates of New Jersey LLC, $15,000
Christy Walton (38), $15,000
Basil Paterson (39), $15,000
District Council 37 PAC, $12,600
NY Hotel and Motel Trades Council Cope, $10,000
Local 6 Committee on Political Education,$10,000
Empire State Pride Agenda, Inc. PAC, $10,000
HRH Construction LLC, $10,000
Medical Society of the State of NY PAC State Fund, $10,000
New York Anesthesiologists PAC, $10,000
Voice of Teachers for Education Cope, $10,000
Automobile Dealers of NY PAC, $10,000
Pepsi Cola Bottlers PAC, $10,000
Academy of Trial Lawyers PAC, $10,000
Ninth Decade Fund PAC, $10,000
Portia Paterson (40), $10,000
Howard Rubenstein (41), $10,000
Jeff Soref (42), $10,000
Eugene Zagat (43), $10,000
1 Founder of Renaissance Technologies hedge fund. Worth $5.5 billion.
2 Developer. Named a Virginia apartment complex after his daughter Noelle.
3 Founder of Barnes & Noble.
4 Married to founder of Barnes & Noble.
5 Satellite-communications mogul. “Bernard Schwartz” is also the birth name of actor Tony Curtis.
6 Major contributor to Club for Growth 501(c), which, like Paterson, supports expansion of the state’s charter-school program.
7 Major contributor to Club for Growth.
8 City-based lawyer.
9 Founder of Club for Growth.
10 Runs state-government health-care company AmeriChoice.
11 Developer. Raised over $500,000 to defeat U.S. Representative Sue Kelly (R-NY) in 2006 after she voted for a ban on gay marriage.
12 Developer. Involved in management of two upstate racetracks.
13 Developer.
14 Developer.
15 Democratic donor from North Carolina; TV producer and daughter of H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, the NASCAR king of Charlotte.
16 Founder of the YES Network; media mogul. Major Democratic donor.
17 Developer.
18 Chairman and CEO, Loews Hotels. Brother produced Kevin Costner movie The Postman.
19 Developer.
20 Developer.
21 Metals trader and member of British Virgin Islands Botanic Society.
22 Developer.
23 Developer.
24 Real-estate heir; caught in 2000 bribing homeless men in Milwaukee with cigarettes to vote for Al Gore.
25 Corporate lawyer (son of famous litigator David); made his entire $25,000 donation via credit card.
26 Member of the New York City Housing Development Corporation’s Board of Directors.
27 Developer.
28 Former Texas lieutenant governor; told Dan Rather he pulled strings to help George W. Bush get into Air National Guard.
29 Imax executive.
30 Investment banker; socialite. Wife’s name is Celerie (pronounced “celery”).
31 Developer.
32 Founder, National Heritage Academies (charter-school group).
33 Developer and gay-marriage advocate.
34 Developer and former resident of a 256-acre llama farm.
35 Milwaukee-area restaurant owner and frequent Democratic donor.
36 Albany attorney. Worked for Mario Cuomo.
37 Real-estate finance exec; son of former governor Hugh.
38 Widow of Wal-Mart heir John T. Walton.
39 The governor’s father.
40 The governor’s mother.
41 Public-relations titan.
42 Heir to the Master Lock fortune; gay activist.
43 Publisher of Zagat guides.