Los Angeles ? With Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and his allies raising money to fight a Republican-led campaign to recall him, wealthy donors are getting an unexpected chance at influence during an important time in California’s budget and legislative calendar.

The committee formed to fight the recall is headed by a firefighters union whose members could face job cuts in the budget Davis will sign in coming months. It has drawn donations from companies and unions affected by other issues being debated in Sacramento as lawmakers confront a $38.2 billion budget deficit.

Donors said their giving was unrelated to business before the state, and Davis aides insisted the governor’s policies were unaffected by political donations.

But for anyone with a desire to demonstrate support for the beleaguered governor, the timing could hardly be better.

“There is no greater expression of loyalty than to come to the aid of a governor who is under siege and is fighting to avoid being removed from office outside the normal electoral process,” said University of Southern California political scientist Sherry Bebitch Jeffe.

Davis is an aggressive fund-raiser who amassed nearly $78 million to win re-election in November.