By Mark Scheer
The campaign fund for New York state Sen. George Maziarz maintained a healthy bottom line in the second half of 2007 thanks to an array of donors that included local developers, politicians and a few generous contributors from as far away as California and Florida.
Although Maziarz — routinely one of the top earners in local political circles — spent $380 more than he took in between July and December of last year, records show the Newfane Republican still has a little more than $738,726 left in his campaign war chest.
The senator, who has long been rumored as a potential candidate for higher office, said the size of his campaign fund is not an indication that he intends to leave the state Senate soon. Maziarz, who is most often been linked to the congressional seat currently occupied by long-time U.S. Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-Clarence, said he intends to spend this year’s campaign season working on yet another re-election bid to the state Senate.
“I fully expect that Tom Reynolds is running again,” Maziarz said. “It’s just not an opportunity for me at this time.”
The state’s most recent filing records cover donations made to candidates between July and and early January.
During that time period, Maziarz took in $54,731 from 144 individuals, including a couple of top officials from Niagara Falls Redevelopment, the real estate company that now owns a significant amount of property in downtown Niagara Falls under a long-standing development deal with the city. According to board of elections records, NFR owner and New York City real estate magnet Howard Milstein and the company’s chief executive officer Anthony Bergamo contributed $2,500 each to the Maziarz campaign. Milstein’s brother, Edward, kicked in another $2,500, records show.
In July, the company itself contributed $200 to the campaign of state Sen. Antoine Thompson, D-Buffalo.
Campaign contributions are nothing new to NFR. The company has contributed close to $30,000 to various candidates — both Republican and Democratic — since 1999.
“We contribute to a lot of people,” said NFR Executive Vice President Roger Trevino.
Maziarz’s largest single donation from an individual came in the form of a $9,500 contribution from a woman named Katie Schlesinger of Miami, Fla. He also received $8,600 from Bradley S. Cohen, a member of the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition and the head of Cohen Asset Management, a national real estate investment company that owns an industrial park in Rochester.
The senator’s donor list also included several people active within local politics and the county Republican party, including Niagara County Industrial Development Agency Chairman and Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority trustee Henry Sloma who gave Maziarz $2,500 in November. Since 1999, Sloma has contributed more than $18,000 to Maziarz’s election fund.
Other notable names on the Maziarz’s list include: Samuel Ferraro, commissioner of the Niagara County Center for Economic Development, who gave $100; current legislator and Majority Leader Rick Updegrove, R-Lockport, who gave $100; Legislator Andrea McNulty, a Democrat who cauces with the Republicans, who contributed $99; and former Republican Legislators Mal Needler and Glen Aranow who donated $100 each.
Several lawyers on the county’s payroll also contributed to the Maziarz campaign, including County Attorney Claude Joerg and his colleague Robert Pusateri who gave $100 each, and the Lockport law firm of county attorney, R. Joseph Foltz, which contributed $500.
Corporation and business donations for Maziarz totaled $45,885, including a $5,000 gift from Fashion Outlets of Niagara. Maziarz received another $54,560 in “other monetary contributions” from various political action committees and unions.
On the spending side, Maziarz transferred a total of $56,000 out of his account to the Niagara County Republican Committee’s fund last year. He said such moves help him build concensus on larger public benefit projects, such as the development of the new airport terminal at Niagara Falls International Airport.
“Obviously, I support Republican candidates,” Maziarz said. “I need partners in government that help me to do things.”
Maziarz’s campaign fund dwarfed that of his local colleagues in the state Legislature.
State Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, D-Niagara Falls, finished 2007 with $27,191 in her campaign account. Records show DelMonte started July with $15,670. She raised $17,750 and spent $6,229 during the last half of the year. She received 20 donations totaling $4,550 from individuals. Notable names included Niagara County Community College President Dr. James Klyczek and Niagara Falls director of economic development Ralph Aversa who donated $150 each. DelMonte’s largest individual donation of $1,000 came from her brother, John. On the corporate side, DelMonte received $4,100, with the largest donation, $750, coming from A-B Recycling Corp. out of St. Louis, Mo. DelMonte raised a total of $9,100 from political action committees and unions, including $1,000 donations from the United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 22 PAC and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 463 PAC.
Thompson started the filing period with a balance of $9,719 in his campaign fund. Records show he took in $44,832 and spent $38,249 for a remaining balance of $15,851.
