Mamdani Referred to DOJ For Criminal Charges Over Alleged Foreign Donations
New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is facing criminal referrals from the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, a campaign finance watchdog. The group alleges his campaign illegally accepted donations from foreign contributors.
The foundation filed the referrals with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and the Department of Justice. It accuses Mamdani of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act and New York Election Code.
This action follows a New York Post report that Mamdani’s campaign collected nearly $13,000 from at least 170 donors with foreign addresses. One contribution was from his mother-in-law in Dubai.
A foundation official stated this was a “sustained pattern” of accepting foreign money, not isolated errors. The group claims the campaign was aware of the issue for months but failed to stop the influx.
Donations reportedly came from numerous countries, including Australia, Turkey, France, Canada, and Germany. The foundation alleges a “systematic failure to comply” with finance laws, which prohibit foreign national contributions.
Mamdani’s campaign has refunded some donations but has not returned 88 contributions totaling $7,190. A campaign spokesperson argued that U.S. citizens living abroad are permitted to donate.
The spokesperson stated the campaign has a “rigorous compliance process” to verify donor eligibility and will refund any impermissible contributions. Despite the controversy, most polls show Mamdani leading his competitors.
