Billy Joel donates $50,000 to super PAC backing Andrew Cuomo's run for NYC mayor

Billy Joel’s trust is among the big-dollar donors contributing to a super PAC seeking to elect his longtime friend Andrew M. Cuomo as New York City mayor.

The super PAC has raked in about $4.148 million from 57 donors, according to records from the city's Campaign Finance Board. The William M. Joel Revocable Trust gave $50,000 to Fix the City Inc., the super PAC that is supporting Cuomo's run for mayor.

Fashion designer Michael Kors also gave $50,000, and Alice Walton, of Arkansas, the Walmart heiress, gave $100,000.

Super PACs can skirt the limits imposed by the city on traditional candidate donations, such as contribution caps, as well as bans on corporate contributions and those who do business with the city.

Cuomo, the former governor who resigned in scandal in 2021, has been leading by double digits in almost every public poll conducted since the beginning of the year. He entered the race in March and has raised $1.5 million in traditional contributions, according to the most recent filing period of the Campaign Finance Board. The next deadline is May 23 for traditional contributions. Updates to super PAC disclosures appear weekly on Mondays once they spend at least $1,000. 

The incumbent, Eric Adams, has since bowed out of the Democratic primary for a run as an independent. The primary election is in June, and the general election is in November.

So far, Fix the City has spent over $684,000, according to the New York State Board of Elections.

It’s illegal for Super PACs to coordinate with candidates they support, and the entities operate separately.

Most mayoral candidates do not have Super PACs supporting them this year.

New Yorkers for Lower Costs, the super PAC supporting mayoral candidate Assemb. Zohran Mamdani, has raised a total $56,500 from 10 contributors, according to the state Board of Elections database. The most anyone gave was $15,000. "Sex and the City" actor and former gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon — by far the highest-profile name on the list — gave $5,000.

In terms of traditional contributions directly to a candidate, Eric Adams has raised $4.4 million, including $18,900 in the most recent reporting period, according to the city's Campaign Finance Board database.

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who declared early in March, raised $337,400. Brad Lander, the city comptroller, has raised $1.4 million, with $227,800 in the most recent period.

Mamdani has raised $1.5 million, including $849,000 in the most recent period. Scott Stringer, the former comptroller, has raised $976,000, including $188,000 in the most recent period. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie has raised $785,300, including $136,800 in the most recent period.

All the candidates except for Adams — who has been denied matching funds — are likely to see their war chests grow even further once the latest round of public matching funds are tabulated and awarded.

The super PAC supporting Cuomo intends to raise $15 million, according to The New York Times, which said that's more than twice what the lead super PAC raised for Adams’ successful 2021 campaign for mayor.

Of the approximately $4.1 million, seven sources each contributing $250,000 apiece make up about 42% of the haul, including the media mogul Barry Diller, Suffolk Construction’s chairman and chief executive John Fish, investor Dan Loeb, and RXR chairman and chief executive Scott Rechler, of Glen Head.

Skybridge Capital II LLC, whose principal is financier Anthony Scaramucci — briefly the communications director during Donald Trump’s first term in the White House — donated $100,000, as did Charter Communications Inc., which gave $125,000. Ken Langone, the Home Depot founder, gave $50,000.

Other Long Island contributors include Marc Altheim, of Lake Success, and Eleftherios Malliakas, of Bellmore, principal of MGT Property Management, who gave $10,000 each; Arbor Realty Trust Inc PAC of Uniondale, which gave $25,000; and Ruterra Partners LLC of Jericho, which gave $100,000.

With Joshua Solomon

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.