Politics
Mamdani Hit With Two Criminal Referrals Over Alleged Campaign Finance Violations
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, is facing two criminal referrals stemming from allegations that his campaign accepted nearly $13,000 in contributions from donors with foreign addresses.
The complaints, filed on October 28, 2025, by the Coolidge Reagan Foundation (CRF) — a conservative campaign finance watchdog — accuse the campaign of violating federal and local laws prohibiting foreign nationals from donating to U.S. elections. The referrals were submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, according to a report from Fox News.
A review of filings with the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) identified at least 170 donations totaling approximately $13,000 from individuals listing addresses outside the United States, including in Australia, Canada, Dubai, France, Germany, and Turkey. One notable example involved a $500 contribution in January 2025 from Mamdani’s mother-in-law, a Dubai-based pediatrician, which was refunded four days later. Another came from a Dubai investor who donated $2,100 in September 2025.
CRF president Dan Backer described the pattern as “sustained,” alleging the campaign was aware of the issue for months but failed to implement meaningful safeguards. “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,” Backer stated.
The group argued that refunds do not absolve initial acceptance and that the “totality of the circumstances” indicates likely illegal contributions, even if some donors might be U.S. citizens or green-card holders living abroad.
The DOJ referral targets potential breaches of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), which bans foreign nationals — defined as non-U.S. citizens without permanent residency — from making or receiving contributions in any U.S. election, including state and local races. Penalties for knowing violations can include fines or imprisonment.
As of mid-October 2025, CFB records showed 91 refunds totaling $5,723.50, with at least 88 donations worth $7,190 still unreturned at the time of earlier reporting. CRF Chairman Shaun McCutcheon called foreign funds “a threat to self-government,” urging immediate prosecution.
The Mamdani campaign has acknowledged the flagged donations and maintains that they are in compliance with campaign finance laws. Spokesperson Dora Pekec emphasized that U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents living abroad are legally eligible to donate under federal, state, and city laws. “The Campaign has a rigorous compliance process in place,” Pekec told reporters, adding that refunds have and will be made.
In a statement, the campaign reported that 31 of the 170 donors proved their U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, with CFB deeming those contributions permissible. The remaining 139 were refunded. “Any issue regarding financial contributions has been resolved,” the campaign asserted, adding earlier: “We will of course return any donations that are not in compliance with CFB law.”
The allegations surfaced amid Mamdani’s $4 million private fundraising haul (plus $12.7 million in public matching funds), ahead of Tuesday’s election. The self-described socialist is heavily favored to defeat Republican challenger Curtis Sliwa and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the latter of whom is running an independent campaign after losing to Mamdani in the primary.
