It’s fat cats for Cuomo.
Eighty percent of Gov. Cuomo’s $27.8 million campaign war chest was filled by donors who gave at least $10,000, according to a study released yesterday.
And 44 percent — 200 donors — pumped more than $40,000 each into Cuomo’s re-election effort, a New York Public Interest Research Group analysis found.
Business titans and a broad array of special-interest groups dependent on Albany led a parade of major backers of the governor.
His biggest fan was real-estate mogul Leonard Litwin, whose empire shoveled $625,000 into Cuomo’s 2014 re-election bid, although the Democratic governor has no challenger right now.
“It certainly absurd that a candidate can get $625,000 from one New Yorker,” said NYPIRG’s Bill Mahoney.
Individuals can give a maximum of $60,800 under state election law, but a loophole allows donors to make other contributions through their business entities.
Cablevision coughed up $140,000. Yankee Global Enterprises pitched in $60,800.
Numerous unions also played money ball: The Uniformed Fire Officers Association, the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and the labor-backed Great Public Schools Political Action Committee all gave more than $60,000 each to the governor.
The powerful health-care workers union, SEIU Local 1199, delivered $50,000.
Most ominous for the Republican Party was the number of prominent GOP donors who contributed generously to Cuomo — a symbolic white flag indicating they don’t think a candidate will emerge who can beat Cuomo next year.
Heading the pack was Peter Kalikow and his real-estate company, which kicked in $125,000.
Corporate raider Carl Icahn and Home Depot founder and New York Stock Exchange honcho Ken Langone each contributed $50,000.
Even two Republican candidates running for New York City mayor, John Catsimatidis and George McDonald, were big Cuomo donors. Supermarket mogul Catsimatidis, his family and business entities gave more than $100,000; McDonald, president of the Doe Fund, gave $60,000.
A third GOP mayoral candidate, Joe Lhota, was not listed as a contributor despite Cuomo appointing him as chairman of the MTA. He resigned this year to run for mayor.
GOP insiders said Cuomo has been personally courting Republican business leaders and seeking their advice. And there’s already been discussions of setting up a “Republicans for Cuomo” committee.
“Cuomo’s called all our major donors. He talks to them personally. They take his call. He’s the governor,” said one GOP source.
“He really knows how to work the phones,” the source marveled. “He is trying to co-opt everyone in New York.”
And public-relations veteran Howard Rubenstein contributed $59,473.