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Politico names top 25 biggest state-level campaign donors of 2015
Bill Mahoney is reporting at Politico New York the 25 largest donors to New York state politicians and political parties last year included hedge fund managers, labor unions and a PAC controlled by a former leader of the Senate. Hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller topped the list after writing two $500,000 checks to the state Democratic Committee's housekeeping account. He is a major supporter of charter schools and education reform groups. Others in the top five include the Trial Lawyers Association, 1199 SEIU, New York State United Teachers and the largest state affiliates of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. The number of real estate firms at the top of the list has dropped since last year. Only one, Howard Milstein, a supporter of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, made the list in 2015. Former state Sen. Joe Bruno's Creating New York Jobs Now PAC came in at number 11 on the list. The former Senate majority leader used a portion of the $1.5 million in legal fees reimbursed to his campaign committee by the state to fund this independent PAC that existed for only five months. Read the full story at Politico New York.