Big donors continue to give to Cuomo; $25M in campaign chest

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo raised $5.1 million for his campaign fund over the last six months, thanks to large donations from famous and wealthy donors, labor unions and limited-liability companies.

Cuomo, a Democrat who would be up for re-election next year, now has $25.7 million in his campaign coffers, records filed with the state Board of Elections shows.

During the past six months, his campaign spent $1.3 million, a good deal of it on travel around the state to hold fundraisers. For example, he spent $40,000 on a Billy Joel-headlined fundraiser in Uniondale in February and $24,000 on several fundraisers with the New York Yankees.

Some of the notable contributors to Cuomo included: Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein ($25,000), Walmart family member Jim Walton ($25,000), the law firm of David Boies ($25,000), Home Depot chief Ken Langone ($25,000), and hedge-fund member and libertarian supporter Ravenel Curry ($65,000).

The governor received $50,000 from Richard and Robert Sands, the Rochester-area brothers who own Constellation Brands, reportedly the largest wine company in the nation. In addition to making contributions, the Sands brothers also paid $26,000 to cover the cost of a Cuomo event, and air travel, in upstate Geneva earlier this year.

The Great Public Schools political action committee, affiliated with charter-schools advocate Eva Moskowitz, contributed $50,000.

A raft of unions gave contributions; among the largest was $25,000 from the Transportation Workers Union. The Nassau County Police Benevolent Association gave $12,500.