The top fund-raiser for Democratic mayoral candidate Bill Thompson turns out to be a former deputy mayor in the Giuliani administration who served alongside Republican candidate Joe Lhota.
“Really?” said Randy Mastro when notified by The Post that he had rounded up more than anyone else for the former comptroller — $58,600, according to filing records at the Campaign Finance Board.
Mastro and Thompson have been on friendly terms since both served in city government in the mid-’90s, when Thompson was president of the old Board of Education and Mastro was a top aide to then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
In 2008, when Thompson sued to try to block the extension of term limits, he signed up Mastro as his lawyer.
“I have friends who I respect running for mayor — now I have multiple friends I respect,” chuckled Mastro, referring to the impending entry of another former Giuliani deputy mayor, Lhota, into the mayor’s race on the Republican side.
Mastro raised the funds for Thompson — mostly from members of his own law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher — before Lhota announced he was stepping down as MTA chairman to make his first run for public office.
With Lhota about to become a full-fledged candidate, Mastro said he’s prepared to pull in some big bucks for him as well.
But whom does he back if both of his favored candidates end up facing off in the general election?
Mastro, a registered Democrat, isn’t saying. “The city should be so fortunate on primary day to nominate two such stellar candidates,” was his Solomon-like response.
Another ex-Giuliani aide bound to be writing more campaign checks this year is Randy Levine, the president of the New York Yankees.
Records show he contributed $4,950 to City Council President Christine Quinn and $4,000 to Thompson.
Sources said Levine is ready to contribute more when Lhota comes calling.
No. 2 on Thompson’s list of bundlers is former Republican Sen. Al D’Amato, who collected $47,550 in donations.
D’Amato, now working as a lobbyist, has made no secret of his support for Thompson, having held a huge pre-Christmas bash for him at Club 101 on Park Avenue.
One source said D’Amato didn’t stop there.
“He was at an event and he was hitting up everyone for Bill Thompson,” said the source. “My guess is he thinks he’s a winner.”
Bundlers, also known as intermediaries, raise campaign funds from friends and associates and deliver the bounty to the candidate they’re supporting. Under campaign finance rules, individuals can’t give more than $4,950 to a mayoral candidate.
Only three bundlers broke the $100,000 barrier.
Leading the list was Charles Dorego, a senior vice president at the Glenwood Management real-estate firm, who hauled in $149,900 for Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer when he was running for mayor last year.
Stringer has since quit that race to run for comptroller.