It began as a routine campaign season, with posters, fundraisers, and policy announcements dominating headlines.
But behind the scenes, an unusual trail of international contributions quietly emerged—one that could raise serious legal questions and thrust Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid into a shadowy new dimension.
Zohran Mamdani, the leading candidate in the New York City mayoral race, is now facing criminal referrals alleging that his campaign accepted unlawful donations from foreign contributors.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation submitted two such referrals to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday, citing potential violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act and the New York Election Code.
The filings follow reports that Mamdani’s campaign received roughly $13,000 from at least 170 donors living outside the United States, including a contribution from his mother-in-law in Dubai.
“These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,” said Dan Backer, a national campaign finance attorney and president of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation. “This represents a sustained pattern of foreign money entering a New York City mayoral race, a clear breach of both federal law and local campaign finance rules. The campaign was on notice for months, yet no meaningful steps were taken to halt these contributions.”
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation has previously filed complaints against other high-profile Democratic figures, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and the Democratic National Committee. In Mamdani’s case, the foundation is urging both the DOJ and the Manhattan DA to investigate and pursue legal action concerning donations that may have originated from Australia.
Conclusion
As investigations continue, Mamdani’s campaign faces heightened scrutiny over potentially unlawful foreign contributions.
The situation underscores the importance of transparency and strict adherence to campaign finance laws, with potential consequences not just for the candidate, but for the integrity of New York City’s mayoral race as a whole.