Zohran Mamdani at the Resist Fascism Rally in Bryant Park on Oct 27th 2024 (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Far-left New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, a self-described socialist, has been hit with two criminal referrals alleging he accepted illegal foreign campaign donations, a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and New York election law.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation, a prominent campaign finance watchdog, filed the referrals Tuesday with both the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, demanding a full investigation into a “pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race.”
According to the Fox News, the foundation’s complaint follows revelations that Mamdani’s campaign raked in nearly $13,000 from 170 donors with addresses outside the United States, including one donation reportedly coming from his mother-in-law in Dubai.
“These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,” said Dan Backer, 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. 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 New York Post reported:
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation – which has previously lodged complaints against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee – urged Bragg and the DOJ to investigate and prosecute Mamdani over the potentially illegal campaign cash, which flowed in from Australia, Turkey, France, Canada, Germany and other countries.
The group argued Mamdani’s campaign has demonstrated a “systematic failure to comply” with campaign finance laws.
Under the Federal Election Campaign Act it is unlawful to “accept or receive” contributions from foreign nationals in any federal, state, or local election.
Violators who knowingly accept foreign donations could face hefty fines and imprisonment.
[…]
While the Mamdani campaign appears to have returned some of the foreign contributions, records show at least 88 donations totalling $7,190 have not been given back.
A spokesperson for the campaign, Dora Pekec, attempted to downplay the allegations, claiming that some of the contributions may have come from Americans living overseas.
“All U.S. citizens and permanent residents, including those who live outside the U.S., are legally permitted to donate,” Pekec said, insisting the campaign has “a rigorous compliance process” and will “promptly issue refunds for any donations that are found to be impermissible.”
According to Fox News, the Mandani campaign stated that “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 of Oct. 14, filings show that 91 of those refunds have been processed, totaling $5,723.50.
The news outlet added: “The DOJ referral calls for a criminal investigation “into potential FECA violations,” while the Manhattan referral cites “possible violations of New York Election Law § 17.152, which makes it a misdemeanor for two or more persons to conspire to promote an election by unlawful means.”
“Foreign money in American elections is not just a technical violation, it is a threat to self-government,” CRF Chairman Shaun McCutcheon said.
“Every dollar illegally funneled into a campaign from abroad dilutes the voice of lawful American voters. This case must be investigated immediately, and those responsible held accountable.”
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that new filings reveal that a majority of Mamdani’s campaign money is coming from far beyond the five boroughs.
According to the latest campaign-finance records, Mamdani raised about $1.05 million in just five weeks.
Of that total, more than $532,000—or 53%—came from donors outside New York City.
This means nearly half of the funding fueling his campaign is coming from individuals who will never vote in the mayoral election.
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