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SACRAMENTO (AP) ― Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has become the most prolific campaign fundraiser in California history, taking in more than $125 million for his various political committees, according to an Associated Press review of fundraising records.

In doing so, he has surpassed Gray Davis, the governor he ousted four years ago in a recall election that focused in large part on Davis' seemingly incessant fundraising.

Schwarzenegger's political committees have taken in $125.8 million since he jumped into the gubernatorial recall campaign in August 2003. Davis took longer—seven years—to raise $120 million for two gubernatorial campaigns and to fight the recall effort against him.

The money has been rolling in to Schwarzenegger's campaign accounts, mainly from large and small businesses and business executives, even though he suggested that he would rely on his own fortune to pay for his campaigns.

"The biggest problem we have is that California is being run by special interests," the former actor said after announcing his candidacy on "The Tonight Show" on Aug. 6, 2003. "I will go to Sacramento and clean house. I don't need to take money from anybody. I have plenty of money myself. I will make decisions for the people."

An AP investigation before Schwarzenegger won re-election last fall showed he was closing in on Davis' record. A subsequent review of finance records filed to the secretary of state's office found the governor has since surpassed his predecessor.

Schwarzenegger has continued to raise money this year even though he is barred by state law from running for a third term in 2010.

So far in 2007, he has taken in more than $6.2 million to pay off debts from his 2006 re-election campaign, restock his ballot measure committee and pay for some staff travel and other expenses through a new officeholder committee.

Robert Stern, president of the Los Angeles-based Center for Governmental Studies, said Schwarzenegger's fundraising "shows that when somebody gets into office, many of the things they say before they get into office are nonstarters. For example, 'I don't need to take money from special interests' and 'I don't need to raise campaign money."'

Schwarzenegger has used $32.7 million of his own money on his two races for governor and several ballot measure campaigns. That total is not included in the $125.8 million figure.

A Schwarzenegger spokeswoman, Julie Soderlund, said the governor has "absolutely kept his promise" about fundraising.

He makes policy decisions based on "what he thinks is best for the state" and doesn't accept contributions from public employee unions and Indian tribes that negotiate contracts with the governor's office, she said.

Soderlund said Schwarzenegger's record on issues such as the environment and health care show he is willing to break with his campaign supporters.

"The governor has time and again demonstrated his independent decision-making with regard to policy issues," she said. "Those who have chosen to contribute to him or an initiative he's moving forward have done so because they support the idea or his vision."

An advocate for campaign reform said interests that give thousands of dollars to politicians expect that their contributions will gain them influence.

"They are not giving it as an altruistic act," said Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause.

The biggest disappointment isn't the fact that Schwarzenegger has raised large amounts of campaign money, Feng said.

"It's that he hasn't added to his platform a comprehensive reform proposal for changing the way that money controls politics," she said.

The Republican governor has proposed a fundraising moratorium for himself and legislators during about a four- to-five month period each year when final decisions are made on the state budget and other legislation.

But the proposal has met with criticism that it would only shift fundraising efforts to other times of the year and fail to blunt the influence of big donors.

"If the governor wants to really tackle the issue of too much money in politics, he needs to be bold in his solution," Feng said. "Trying to create some blackout periods or tinkering around with disclosure requirements is not going to change the system."

She added that getting caught up in the money chase is inherent to California politics under the current system.

"We need a major overhaul along the lines of public financing," Feng said.

The California League of Conservation Voters gives Schwarzenegger an average score of 57 out of 100 for his signings and vetoes of environmental bills over the last four years, but his best marks come from business groups such as the California Chamber of Commerce.

During his four years in office, the Republican governor has vetoed nearly 93 percent—all but three—of the 41 employment and consumer-related bills the chamber has labeled "job killers."

"From day one in office, Governor Schwarzenegger has demonstrated his commitment to protecting California's economy and encouraging job creation," the chamber's president, Allan Zaremberg, said in a statement. "The governor continues to veto bills that would have placed California's competitiveness in peril."

The California Labor Federation has a different take on Schwarzenegger's record. It gave him an average score of 20 out of 100 on legislation he has signed and vetoed that the federation supported over the first three years of his administration.

Not surprisingly, Schwarzenegger's biggest donors are business executives and corporations.

DHL courier service founder William Robinson has contributed more than $3 million to the governor's campaign committees.  Spanish-language television magnate Jerry Perenchio and Stockton developer and San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos have given more than $2 million each.

Mortgage lender Ameriquest Capital Corp. and its founders, Roland and Dawn Arnall, have given $1.5 million. So has Henry Nicholas, chairman of NS Holdings LLC of Aliso Viejo.

Other big donors include Public Storage Co. chairman B. Wayne Hughes, Chevron Corp. and Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)