With just days left before New York City voters head to the polls, Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is confronting allegations that his campaign may have accepted contributions from foreign nationals — a violation of federal election law.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation, a conservative watchdog organization, has filed criminal referrals with both the U.S. Department of Justice and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, claiming that Mamdani’s campaign received nearly $13,000 in donations linked to more than 170 individuals living outside the United States. Among the reported contributors is a relative of Mamdani based in Dubai.
Federal law prohibits non-U.S. citizens from financially contributing to political campaigns. The Foundation’s president, Dan Backer, described the issue as a “consistent pattern” of foreign funds entering the race and accused the campaign of failing to act even after being alerted to the problem.
In response, Mamdani said that 31 of those donors have since verified their U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status, while the remaining contributions were refunded. His team maintains that all donations now comply with campaign finance regulations.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation has urged prosecutors to launch an investigation, calling the allegations a serious test of election integrity.
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