New York City’s mayoral race just got a spicy twist with frontrunner Zohran Mamdani caught in a storm over alleged illegal foreign donations.
Reports surfaced earlier this month that Mamdani’s campaign accepted nearly $13,000 from over 170 donors outside the United States, prompting a watchdog group to file criminal referrals with federal and local authorities, accusing him of flouting election laws.
The New York Post reported that the trouble started brewing when finance reports confirmed contributions pouring in from far-flung places like Australia, Turkey, France, Canada, and Germany.
Enter the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, a campaign finance watchdog with a history of challenging big names like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
On Tuesday, October 28, 2025, the Foundation dropped a bombshell by filing two criminal referrals—one to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and another to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.
They’re alleging that Mamdani violated the Federal Election Campaign Act and the New York Election Code by accepting these foreign funds, a serious no-no in American elections.
The law is unambiguous: foreign nationals are barred from contributing to any federal, state, or local election in the U.S., with penalties including steep fines and potential jail time for those who knowingly break the rules.
The Foundation claims Mamdani’s campaign showed a “systematic failure to comply” with these regulations, pointing to donations—including one from his mother-in-law in Dubai—that raise eyebrows about oversight.
“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,” said Dan Backer, president of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation.
Let’s be real—when cash is streaming in from overseas, it’s not just a paperwork glitch; it’s a glaring red flag for the integrity of our elections.
Mamdani’s team isn’t sitting quietly, though, with spokesperson Dora Pekec asserting, “All US citizens and permanent residents, including those who live outside the US, are legally permitted to donate to New York City mayoral campaigns under federal campaign finance law and New York State and City law.”
While they claim a “rigorous compliance process” to vet donors, the fact remains that records show 88 donations totaling $7,190 haven’t been refunded, even if some funds were returned. If the system’s so tight, why are we still counting unreturned foreign cash?
With a war chest of about $4 million in private donations, plus $12.7 million in public matching funds, and $6.1 million still on hand, Mamdani’s campaign has the resources to clean house—so why the delay?
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation isn’t mincing words, urging both Bragg and the DOJ to investigate and prosecute, though neither office has commented on the referrals yet.
In a city as diverse as New York, it’s understandable that campaigns might attract global attention, but there’s a line between admiration and interference—and foreign dollars cross it.
While progressive agendas often champion inclusivity, bending election laws to accommodate overseas influence isn’t the kind of openness our democracy needs.