This PAC once heavily financed Blakeman's campaign runs. It's barely given to his gubernatorial bid.

A political action committee that represents property tax grievance firms has contributed millions toward helping elect Long Island Republican candidates, including the past campaigns of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

That well of support has dried up in Blakeman's run for governor. 

The Committee for Fair Property Taxes, funded by the principals of companies that file thousands of property tax challenges each year on behalf of homeowners, has given $5,000 to the Blakeman for New York campaign directly, a fraction of the $114,500 donated to the Blakeman for Nassau account since 2021, excluding the millions the PAC has spent on the county executive's race since it was formed, a Newsday review of state campaign records shows.

The revelation comes as Blakeman has $178,000 cash on hand less than a month before Election Day. He faces incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has $18.5 million.

The lack of money from the PAC at a time when Blakeman might need it most suggests their interests are local, with several of the founders politically connected and earning millions of dollars off beating Nassau County's tax assessment system.  With Blakeman as county executive, home assessment values have remained frozen, despite a 2021 campaign pledge to reset them, which critics say creates an inaccurate tax roll the county can't defend against challenges. 

The group has broad influence on Nassau County politics and its money powers Blakeman's largest single donor base, the Nassau County Republican Committee. The county committee posted $1.6 million in the October campaign finance disclosures and about $3.5 million total on his gubernatorial run, according to the state Board of Elections website. 

Nassau County Republican Committee chairman Joseph Cairo called the PAC "a significant group."

"Are they supporters of Bruce? Absolutely. But I think their issues are more local than Albany-based," Cairo said. "They have right to support whomever they want and they've also supported Democrats." 

A spokesman for Blakeman did not return a request for comment. 

Reliable donor

Committee for Fair Property Taxes has been a major player in financing GOP campaigns. 

From 2021 through 2025, the PAC gave more than $1.3 million almost exclusively to Republican campaigns and local clubs. Through the PAC, principals of some of Nassau's best known tax grievance firms gave  between $131,895 and $382,275 in the last five years. Since its formation in 2009, the PAC has donated $3,231,018, campaign records show.

While they give the most money to the Nassau County Republican Committee, the Fair Property PAC has spread its contributions to various funds, including the NVS Victory Campaign Fund, North Valley Stream Republican Committee, Town of Hempstead Republican Committee, North Hempstead Republican Committee and  Garden City Republican Club. Those committees then gave contributions to candidate campaigns, according to state fillings. 

Jay Jacobs, chairman of the state and Nassau County Democratic committee, said he believes the firms do better financially if Blakeman stays in Nassau. 

"They contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to help Republicans win their campaigns and stay in office," Jacobs said in a statement to Newsday. "In return, those firms profit in the tens of millions of dollars by elected Republican officials' refusal to address the inequity in the tax assessment system. The result: ballooning property challenges costing the county hundreds of millions of dollars and higher property tax bills for everyone." 

Blakeman defeated Democrat Laura Curran in the 2021 county executive's race, promising to "fix" a broken assessment system. After five years in office, his administration has kept the rolls frozen, which experts say can make it easier to win grievances. As governor, Blakeman would have no direct control over the county's department of assessment and his statewide campaign focuses on income tax reform.

The PAC's influence is largely limited to within Nassau County, where property owners pay among the highest tax bills in the nation under a unique system in which county government sets the assessed values for properties used to levy taxes.

Nassau homeowners, typically in the spring, challenge their tax bills either on their own or using one of the law firms or specialized companies that file grievances in bulk. Those firms then take a portion of the savings they've secured for the homeowners.

Major players

The principals of some of those firms also donate separately as individuals to candidates of both political parties, with the lion's share going to local Republicans. 

According to state campaign finance records, Shalom Maidenbaum, owner and founder of Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Group, is the PAC's main funder. He made $140,000 in political contributions in 2026, of which $75,000 went into the Committee for Fair Property Taxes. He also gave $25,000 to the Nassau County Republican Committee last month and $15,000 to the state Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee in July. 

But his direct contribution to Blakeman's gubernatorial campaign, Blakeman for New York: $5,000. Since 2021, Maidenbaum has put $980,065 into political campaigns, including to Blakeman's two runs for county executive. 

An attorney for Maidenbaum did not respond to Newsday's questions except to say his client has also given to Democrats.

Sean Acosta, of Plainview, founder and president of Property Tax Reduction Consultants, donated $32,250 this year, of which $25,000 went to the Nassau GOP. Since 2021, he's given $303,428 almost entirely to Republicans. 

Claire Gangi, of Bayville, president of Empire Tax Reductions, gave $65,000 this year: $25,000 to the Nassau GOP and $40,000 to the Fair Property PAC. Since 2021, Gangi has contributed $373,541 exclusively to the Fair Property PAC, the Nassau GOP and the campaigns of Blakeman for county executive, Nassau Comptroller Elaine Phillips, Republican Nassau Legis. Samantha Goetz and former Hempstead Town Supervisor Donald X. Clavin Jr. 

Paola Orsini, of Garden City, president of Re-Assessment & Evaluation Services Inc. gave $23,629 this year, mostly to the Nassau GOP and other local candidates with only $2,342 going to Blakeman for New York. Since 2021, Orsini donated $79,197 to county and town races.

Donations from individuals to candidates for statewide office are capped at $9,000 but the limit is $138,600 when giving to a party committee, according to the state Board of Elections. 

The money pays for campaign staff, ads and mailers to the homes of voters. Nassau's GOP candidates during this time have held all countywide seats, maintained a majority on the county legislature, flipped town supervisor seats and captured majorities on town and city councils.

Legis. Carrié Solages (D-Valley Stream), who has long represented communities where homeowners have been adversely impacted by the frozen rolls, said the donations to Republicans make it difficult for Democrats to reform a system that treats taxpayers unfairly and allows the tax industry "to profit from the dysfunction."

"The status quo isn't just unfair to taxpayers, it's politically convenient for the people who benefit from it," Solages said. 

By Candice Ferrette

candice.ferrette@newsday.comcandiceferrette

Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.