Billionaire mogul with Russia ties emerges as major donor to Hochul, numerous polsBy Carl Campanile
March 6, 2022
A Soviet-born billionaire with close ties to US-sanctioned Russian oligarchs has emerged as a top donor to Gov. Kathy Hochul, according to campaign records that show a flurry of political contributions across the board.
Len Blavatnik donated $69,700 — the maximum allowed — to Hochul’s election campaign since she took over as governor following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation in August, campaign records filed with the state Board of Elections reveal.
Blavatnik, 64, delivered an initial $10,000 to Hochul’s gubernatorial campaign on Nov. 11, then $59,700 on Jan. 12, the filings show.
The aluminum and oil tycoon also donated $180,000 to Cuomo over two decades. Adding contributions from his wife Emily and brother, Alex, the contributions to the disgraced governor totals $191,900, according to the BOE records.
And, with an estimated worth of $34.2 billion, Blavatnik certainly has money to burn.
He gave $2,800 to President Biden in 2020 and $2,900 to Sen. Charles Schumer last year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics opensecrets.org website. He also pitched in $5,000 to Shaun Donovan for mayor and $2,500 to Ray McGuire’s candidacy last year.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/03/06/billionaire-mogul-with-russia-ties-emerges-as-major-donor-to-hochul/
