Sitt, Tsunis among top individual donors to New York lawmakers for 2009

Among the top 10 individual donors to members of the House and Senate from New York are some of the city’s biggest names in real estate, according to an analysis of campaign finance records by the New York Times and the Center for Responsive Politics. Coming in second on the list was hotel magnate George Tsunis, managing director of Chartwell Hotels, and his wife, Olga. The pair gave a total of $49,200 last year to federal lawmakers from New York like representatives Nita Lowey, Gary Ackerman and Carolyn Maloney. Developer Joseph Sitt and his wife Betty gave $36,100 to New York politicians last year, ranking fifth. Also on the list was William Rudin, the Rudin Management CEO who gave $32,500 with his wife, Ophelia, putting them in the No. 8 spot. Rudin Management’s Manhattan portfolio includes 16 office and 20 apartment buildings. Together the top 10 individual donors gave more than $381,000 in 2009. [NYT]