New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is facing two criminal referrals to federal and local prosecutors over allegations that his campaign accepted illegal donations from foreign contributors.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation, a campaign finance watchdog group, filed the referrals Tuesday with both the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, led by Alvin Bragg.
The group alleges that Mamdani’s campaign violated the Federal Election Campaign Act and the New York Election Code by accepting contributions from foreign nationals — a serious offense under federal law.
Watchdog Alleges Pattern of Illegal Donations
The referrals come after a New York Post report earlier this month revealed that Mamdani’s campaign received nearly $13,000 from at least 170 donors listing addresses outside the United States. One of the contributions reportedly came from Mamdani’s mother-in-law in Dubai.
“These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,” said Dan Backer, president of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation.
“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 added that Mamdani’s campaign “was on notice for months that it was accepting illegal foreign contributions, and yet it did nothing meaningful to stop it.”
Referrals Sent to DOJ and Manhattan DA
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation, known for previous complaints against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and the Democratic National Committee, urged prosecutors to open a criminal investigation into Mamdani’s campaign.
According to the foundation, donations originated from countries including Australia, Turkey, France, Canada, and Germany.
The filings accuse Mamdani’s campaign of a “systematic failure to comply” with campaign finance laws, which prohibit candidates from soliciting, accepting, or receiving donations from foreign nationals in any federal, state, or local election.
“The law is crystal clear that foreign nationals may not participate in American elections,” Backer said.
“Yet Mamdani’s campaign repeatedly accepted donations from individuals abroad, some even tied to regions and individuals openly sympathetic to hostile actors.”
He added that, “Whether through negligence or intent, this conduct undermines the integrity of the democratic process.”
Campaign Denies Wrongdoing, Cites Compliance Protocol
While Mamdani’s campaign has reportedly refunded some foreign donations, campaign finance records show that at least 88 donations totaling $7,190 have not yet been returned.
The campaign has raised roughly $4 million in private contributions and secured an additional $12.7 million in public matching funds. With less than a month before Election Day, it reports about $6.1 million in cash on hand.
Campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec defended the campaign’s practices, telling Fox News Digital that some donations in question came from U.S. citizens living overseas.
“All U.S. citizens and permanent residents, including those who live outside the U.S., are legally permitted to donate,” Pekec said.
“The campaign has a rigorous compliance process to confirm donor eligibility and will promptly issue refunds for any contributions found to be impermissible.”
Political Fallout and Reactions
The controversy has sparked sharp reactions in New York political circles.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) blasted Gov. Kathy Hochul for endorsing Mamdani, calling him a “jihadist” for previously meeting with Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, according to The New York Post.
Despite the growing scrutiny, polls still show Mamdani leading comfortably against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
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