 Simons, who died in May, was no ordinary donor. His family contributed $25 million to Democrats in a 2022 record show. In the past, he had said that he helped Schumer craft legislation and called the New York Democrat a pretty good friend of mine, according to a 2020 oral history interview with the American Institute of Physics. A spokesperson for Schumer said the Senate leader did not speak with Simons about the negotiations. Yeah, well, Simons is dead, so it's Schumer's word we have to take.