New York City Mayoral Frontrunner Zohran Mamdani Faces Criminal Referrals Over Alleged Foreign Donations
New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is facing serious legal scrutiny after two criminal referrals were filed on Tuesday by a campaign finance watchdog, alleging that his campaign illegally accepted donations from foreign contributors.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation submitted the referrals to both the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, accusing Mamdani of potential violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and the New York Election Code.
These filings come shortly after a New York Post investigation earlier this month revealed that Mamdani’s campaign had collected nearly $13,000 from at least 170 donors listing addresses outside the United States — including one donation allegedly from his mother-in-law in Dubai.
“These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,” said Dan Backer, a national campaign finance expert and president of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, in a statement to The Post. “This was a sustained pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race, which is a clear violation of both federal law and New York City campaign finance rules,” he added.
Backer further emphasized that Mamdani’s campaign had been notified months ago that it was accepting impermissible donations but failed to take meaningful action to stop it.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation — a conservative legal advocacy group that has previously filed complaints against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and the Democratic National Committee — is now urging both the Justice Department and District Attorney Bragg to launch a full investigation and potentially prosecute Mamdani for the alleged violations.
According to the Foundation, the questionable donations originated from multiple countries, including Australia, Turkey, France, Canada, and Germany, among others, The Post reported. The organization contends that Mamdani’s campaign displayed a “systematic failure to comply” with established campaign finance laws.
Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, it is explicitly illegal for any campaign to “accept or receive” contributions from foreign nationals in any federal, state, or local election. Individuals who knowingly accept such donations can face severe financial penalties and even imprisonment.
“The law is crystal clear that foreign nationals may not participate in American elections, and that includes making contributions,” Backer reiterated. “Yet Mamdani’s campaign repeatedly accepted donations from individuals abroad, some even tied to regions and individuals openly sympathetic to hostile actors. Whether through negligence or intent, this conduct undermines the integrity of the democratic process.”
While records show that Mamdani’s campaign has refunded some of the foreign contributions, documents indicate that at least 88 donations totaling $7,190 remain unreturned. To date, the campaign has raised approximately $4 million in private contributions, in addition to $12.7 million in public matching funds.
With less than a month before Election Day, Mamdani’s team reports holding $6.1 million in cash on hand.
Campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec defended the campaign’s practices, suggesting that some of the disputed donations may have come from American citizens living overseas.
“All U.S. citizens and permanent residents — including those who live outside the country — are legally permitted to contribute to New York City mayoral campaigns,” Pekec told Fox News Digital. “The campaign maintains a rigorous compliance process, including a verification protocol to confirm whether donors with foreign addresses are indeed U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Any donations found to be impermissible are promptly refunded.”
Despite these assurances, the controversy threatens to overshadow Mamdani’s lead in the polls. Most recent surveys show the self-described socialist comfortably ahead of former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
The allegations have also sparked political backlash. Last week, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) sharply criticized Governor Kathy Hochul for endorsing Mamdani, accusing the mayoral candidate of having ties to extremist figures. Stefanik referred to Mamdani as a “jihadist” for his past meeting with Siraj Wahhaj, an imam labeled an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, according to The Post.
As Election Day approaches, the combination of criminal referrals, media scrutiny, and political attacks poses a major test for Mamdani’s campaign — one that could determine not only the future of his candidacy, but also how closely New York’s election watchdogs enforce the city’s campaign finance laws in the years to come.