When Joe Bruno announced that he was done with the New York State Senate (and the investigations that swirled around the legitimacy of his ownership), he passed it along to Long Island Senator Dean Skelos.  But the King of the Senate gets more than mere power.  He gets cash.

In case you were wondering how sympathetic Skelos might be to criminal law issues, here’s a list, courtesy of Newsday, of his 30 top contributors:

Empire Dental PAC, $12,000
New York State Court Clerks Association, $12,000
Uniformed Fire Officers Association FDNY Local, $10,450
NYS Troopers PAC, $10,300
New York State AFL-CIO COPE Account, $10,200
Physicians Reciprocal Insurers, $10,000
Nassau County PBA PAC, $9,850
NYS Funeral Directors Association PAC, $9,500
Parents and Children PAC Inc., $9,500
New Yorkers for Affordable Housing, $9,400
Rocco Trotta, of Syosset, $9,350
Medical Society of the State of New York PAC, $9,300
The Life Insurance Council of NY PAC, $9,100
J.Y. Trans PAC, $9,000
KeySpan Energy PAC, $9,000
Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman Eisman, $8,700
LAWPAC of New York, $8,600
1199 SEIU NYS PAF, $8,500
Aetna Inc. PAC, $8,500
Carol Harrison, of Woodsburgh, $8,500
Michael Kerr, of Woodsburgh, $8,500
Zachary Kerr, of New York, $8,500
NYSCOPBA, $8,500
RSA-PAC, $8,500
United Transportation Union PAC, $8,500
Weld for New York, $8,500
Cambridge Engineering and Association, $8,500
Detectives Association of Nassau PAC, $8,350
VOTE/COPE, $8,300
ATU New York COPE Fund, $8,000

Since 2006, Skelos has brought in a reported $1,257,309, more than twice the average for a State Senator.  Note that there are at least seven law enforcement PACs in the top 30.  But then Skelos made his bones being “tough on crime,” and the words “smart on crime” have yet to be spoken.

But if Dean would like to hear a contrary view from time to time, he’s welcome to call.  I’m always here to help.