Leadership committees at the state level can have wide-reaching influence and serve as a destination for money from state party committees and state executive branches.

And no committee in New York is more powerful, prominent or influential than Speaker PAC, which is controlled by Shedon Silver, the Speaker of the State Assembly. Silver has held the top leadership post since 1994 and was first elected to the legislature in 1976.

During the last election cycle, Speaker PAC raised $413,600 and spent $168,686, thereby helping to elect New York Democrats including Assembly members Philip Ramos and Joan Millman. Several large expenditures also covered the cost of parties and social functions.

Speaker PAC's donors include Donald Trump, Delta Airlines, and law firm Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP.

Of course, Republican leaderships PACs are no slouches in fund-raising and spending either. The Empire State Leadership PAC raised $448,288 and spent $162,908. Some of that money was transferred to the Republican state party committee, as well as the New York State Conservative Party. Other transfers went to Republican Gov. George Pataki's campaign committee and State Sen. Joe Bruno's campaign committee.

In addition, $160,000 was transferred to ESLPAC from the non-federal account of Together for Our Majority, the leadership committee of U.S. Rep. Thomas Reynolds, who also chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee. Such transfers are no longer legal, now that the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act prohibits federal lawmakers from controlling non-federal accounts.

Though New York State does not require PACs to identify their officers, with the exception of the treasurer, Gannett News Service identified Reynolds as the chairman of ESLPAC in 2002, and described the committee as a vehicle to help Gov. George Pataki and other state Republicans. Reynolds is a former New York State Assembly leader who established TOMPAC after one term as a Congressman. By keeping his state leadership committee, ESLPAC, functioning concurrently with TOMPAC, Reynolds has maneuvered himself into a position of significant financial influence that stretches across the border between state and federal government.

In case you want to read the whole thing -

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Sen. Maziarz contributions, "total raised to date, 2004".

I don't know if that means for the election six months ago, or what he has raised until now, May 2005. Looking at the list, it's hard to tell he's Chair of the Senate Aging Committee.

I got this from followthemoney.org.

Top Contributors
Total $

ELECTRICAL WORKERS/IBEW
$8,750

COHEN, BRADLEY S
$8,500

EMPIRE STATE ASSOC OF ADULT HOMES
$7,750

BRIARWOOD MANOR
$7,500

SEIU PAC
$5,000

ONTARIO SPECIALTY CONTRACTING INC
$4,976

NEW YORK STATE UNITED TEACHERS/NYSUT
$4,137

NEW YORK STATE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS/NYSCOPBA
$3,050

NIAGARA COUNTY REPUBLICAN CMTE
$3,000

WINE PAC
$3,000

EMPIRE STATE PETROLEUM ASSOC/ESPAC
$2,500

LABORERS LOCAL 91/LIUNA
$2,500

KONAR ENTERPRISES
$2,500

DELPHI PAC
$2,099

EMPIRE STATE PETROLEUM PAC
$2,000

ALLEGHANY & EASTERN RR RELATED CO
$2,000

OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 463/IUOE
$2,000

CONTINENTAL INDUSTRIAL CAPITAL
$2,000

NEW YORK STATE CREDIT UNION LEAGUE
$2,000

NEW YORK STATE AFL-CIO
$1,700