Syracuse, N.Y. – Representatives from the nonprofit Friends of Onondaga County Aquarium told county lawmakers last month they had raised nearly $7.6 million in donations to support construction of the aquarium.
But it turns out that the largest of those donations by far – $5.7 million – came from an extension of county government.
The Greater Syracuse Soundstage Development Corp., a local development corporation founded by county officials to run the former film hub in DeWitt, donated most of the money it made selling the film hub to the aquarium Friends group…