Archive · 29 Oct 2025
NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Faces Foreign Fundraising Allegations Amidst Poll Lead
A group that watches how political campaigns spend money, called the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, has accused a leading candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, of taking money from people who live outside the country.
This is against the rules for elections in the US.
The foundation has asked the government to investigate, saying Mamdani's campaign knew about this problem for a long time but didn't fix it.
They believe it's a serious issue because foreign money can influence elections.
This news comes out just as polls show Mamdani is ahead of other candidates in the race to become the next mayor.
Mamdani's campaign has not yet responded in detail in this article.
NYC mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani faces criminal referrals from the Coolidge Reagan Foundation for alleged illegal foreign contributions.
The foundation claims Mamdani's campaign was aware of and failed to address a 'sustained pattern of foreign money' violating federal and city laws.
The allegations specifically cite violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act and New York Election Code.
The criminal referrals have been filed with the US Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
The accusations surface shortly after polls indicated Mamdani leading the mayoral race, with one poll showing him at 43% and another at 44%.
- Who
- New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and the Coolidge Reagan Foundation
- What
- The Coolidge Reagan Foundation has filed two criminal referrals against Zohran Mamdani, accusing his campaign of violating campaign finance laws by accepting illegal foreign contributions.
- When
- The criminal referrals were filed on Tuesday (US time), shortly after polls showed Mamdani leading the mayoral race.
- Where
- New York City
- Why
- The Coolidge Reagan Foundation alleges a 'sustained pattern of foreign money' and a 'systematic failure to comply' with federal and city election laws prohibiting foreign contributions.
Mamdani Campaign
Coolidge Reagan Foundation
Nature of Allegations
Mamdani Campaign
The Mamdani campaign has not yet issued a detailed response in this article, but in previous instances, similar campaigns have cited compliance processes and potential donations from Americans living abroad.
Coolidge Reagan Foundation
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation alleges a 'sustained pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race,' stating that Mamdani's campaign was 'on notice for months' about accepting illegal foreign contributions and failed to act meaningfully.
Violation of Laws
Mamdani Campaign
The Mamdani campaign likely argues any donations flagged are either permissible or will be refunded, suggesting no deliberate intent to violate laws.
Coolidge Reagan Foundation
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation claims Mamdani's campaign has shown a 'systematic failure to comply' with federal law (Federal Election Campaign Act) and New York Election Code, which they state clearly prohibit foreign nationals from contributing to American elections.
- Candidate
- Zohran Mamdani
- Election
- New York City Mayoral Race
- Accusation Filed By
- Coolidge Reagan Foundation
- Alleged Violations
- Accepting illegal foreign contributions, violating Federal Election Campaign Act and New York Election Code
- Criminal Referrals Filed With
- US Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office
- Poll Results (Manhattan Institute Survey)
- Mamdani: 43%, Andrew Cuomo: 28%, Curtis Sliwa: 19%
- Poll Results (Suffolk University Poll)
- Mamdani: 44%, Andrew Cuomo: 34%, Curtis Sliwa: 11%
