‘Illegal’ donations a big biz

Cuo, Tish over limit

Gov. Cuomo and other candidates for state office are hauling in thousands of illegal campaign contributions from corporations, The Post has found.

Cuomo’s re-election campaign has kept at least $27,000 in illegal funds from corporate donors, state filings show.

Public Advocate Letitia James accepted at least $5,000 in illegal corporate contributions to her state attorney general campaign, taking $10,000 from Slate Property Group, corporate filings show. She also took $7,500 each from Climatech HVAC Corp. and Ipex Plumbing And Heating Corp.

Corporations can’t give more than $5,000 total a year to all state candidates and committees under New York election law.

“This law has been routinely violated,” said Blair Horner of the good government group NYPIRG. “I don’t know of anyone punished for doing this.”

Cuomo accepted $15,000 from Saratoga Gaming and Raceway in April 2016. In January 2017, his campaign got $10,000 from the Coalition for Ticket Fairness Inc.

The guv also got $7,000 from Sea Crest Construction Corp. this year, and took $10,000 from the Northeastern Line Constructors Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association this month.

If a corporation donates $5,000 to a candidate, it can’t give to any other state campaigns that year. But Cuomo got $5,000 from 110 Sand Company on July 11 — after it gave thousands to other state committees this year.

Cuomo spokeswoman Abbey Collins said his campaign “has rigorous controls in place to prevent noncompliance,” and that “any overages will be returned.”

The James campaign claimed Slate’s donation money actually came from a limited-liability company of the same name. LLCs have higher contribution limits.

A spokeswoman said the campaign will return $2,500 to both Climatech and Ipex.