The Coolidge Reagan Foundation, a campaign finance watchdog group, submitted two criminal referrals for New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani over allegations that his campaign accepted unlawful donations from foreign nationals.
Submitted Tuesday to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, the referrals accuse Mamdani of violating both the Federal Election Campaign Act and the New York Election Code.
The New York Post reports that the submissions come after it was revealed earlier this month that Mamdani’s campaign had collected nearly $13,000 in contributions from at least 170 donors with overseas addresses, including one from his mother-in-law in Dubai.
“These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,” said Dan Backer, a national campaign finance attorney and 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,” he continued. “Mamdani’s campaign was on notice for months that it was accepting illegal foreign contributions, and yet it did nothing meaningful to stop it.”
The foundation, which has previously filed complaints against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and the Democratic National Committee, urged the DOJ and Bragg to investigate and potentially prosecute Mamdani. The group alleges that the questionable donations originated from countries such as Australia, Turkey, France, Canada, and Germany, among others, according to The Post.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation believes Mamdani’s campaign has shown a “systematic failure to comply” with campaign finance laws. Under federal law, it is illegal to “accept or receive” contributions from foreign nationals in any U.S. election—federal, state, or local. Violations can result in steep fines or even imprisonment.
“The law is crystal clear that foreign nationals may not participate in American elections, and that includes making contributions,” Backer said. “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 Mamdani’s team has reportedly refunded some foreign donations, filings indicate that at least 88 contributions totaling $7,190 remain unreturned. The Post adds that so far, Mamdani’s campaign has raised about $4 million in private donations and received $12.7 million in public matching funds, with approximately $6.1 million cash on hand as the election approaches.
