Following a long-running pattern of targeting key Democrats, the Coolidge Reagan Foundation has hit Zohran Mamdani with two criminal referrals. Filing these against the front-running New York City mayoral hopeful on Tuesday (US time), the campaign finance watchdog accused the Indian-origin US assembly man of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act and New York Election Code.
The referrals were filed with the US Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, as first reported by The New York Post.
Campaign watchdog group accused Zohran Mamdani of ‘illegal foreign contributions’
Releasing a statement to address their filings, the Coolidge Reagan Foundation’s president and national campaign expert Dan Backer claimed that the claims didn’t point to “isolated incidents or clerical errors.” Calling it a “sustained pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race,” he sought to hold Mamdani accountable for supposedly violating federal law and NYC campaign rules.
“Mamdani’s campaign was on notice for months that it was accepting illegal foreign contributions, and yet it did nothing meaningful to stop it,” he added. Further arguing their case, the non-profit suggested that Mamdani campaign had shown “systematic failure to comply” with laws associated with campaign finance.
According to the Federal Election Campaign Act, accepting or receiving donations from foreign nationals in any federal, state or local election is deemed unlawful. Reiterating that the law was clear about ruling out foreign nationals’ contribution to American elections, Backer went on, “Yet Mamdani’s campaign repeatedly accepted donations from individuals abroad, some even tied to regions and individuals openly sympathetic to hostile actors.”
Mamdani campaign counters foreign donation allegations
Contradicting such claims, Mamdani campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec recently hinted at such contributions coming from Americans living overseas. “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,” she told Fox News.
She further emphasised that Mamdani’s campaign had followed a “rigorous compliance process” to make sure that the laws were upheld, which also included ensuring adhering to “protocol to confirm whether donors with foreign addresses are US citizens or lawful permanent residents.” Pekec also admitted that in case any donations were found to be “impermissible,” Zohran’s campaign would refund them immediately.
The Indian-origin mayoral nominee’s campaign has since also issued a statement, saying, “31 of the 170 donors have proven their citizenship or legal permanent residence and have been deemed permissible by the Campaign Finance Board, and the remaining 139 have had their donations refunded,” as per Fox News.
Zohran Mamdani campaign donations – What we know so far
The foundation’s criminal filings against Mamdani come shortly after the Democratic socialist’s campaign garnered nearly $13,000 in donation from at least 170 people whose addressed were not in the US, as per a New York Post report. It also suggested that one such contribution worth $500 had poured in from his mother-in-law in Dubai. This was swiftly refunded four days later, according to New York City Campaign Finance Board filings reviewed by Fox News.
Filing also revealed that 91 of such foreign contributions, with a cumulative worth of $5,723.50, had been refunded as of October 14.
Mamdani hit with criminal referrals to DOJ after NYC elections polls showed him at the top
The controversial addition to the series of events linked to the NYC polls comes right after the Democratic mayoral nominee was seen taking a significant lead over former New York Governor and Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo in a poll released a week ahead of the Election Day.
Closing on Sunday, the Manhattan Institute Survey indicated that Mamdani was leading with 43% of support from likely voters, while Cuomo was down at 28% and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa was at 19%. 8% remained undecided, as per the figures released Tuesday.
On the same page of things, a Suffolk University poll also showed Mamdani at the front with 44% to Cuomo’s 34%. Sliwa settled back at 11%.