Mamdani’s Campaign Under Scrutiny for Foreign Donations
The campaign of socialist mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani reportedly accepted nearly $13,000 in foreign donations, including a contribution from his mother-in-law based in Dubai.
A review of records from the New York City Campaign Finance Commission discovered that at least 170 out of approximately 54,000 donations to major Democratic candidates came from donors residing outside the U.S.
U.S. laws prohibit foreign individuals from donating to political campaigns, requiring candidates to return any unlawful contributions. Those who knowingly accept such donations face significant penalties, including fines and prison time.
Despite this, Mamdani’s campaign has not returned 88 foreign donations totaling $7,190, according to the records.
His campaign has accumulated $4 million in private donations along with an additional $12.7 million from public matching funds, resulting in nearly $6.1 million available with less than a month remaining before Election Day.
In a statement released Saturday, his campaign asserted, “We will return any donations that do not comply with CFB law,” after being presented with detailed information about the outstanding foreign donations. However, they did not explain why so many remain unreturned.
Concerns over foreign donations have been voiced, notably by Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, who expressed suspicion regarding foreign funding entering Mamdani’s campaign. He remarked, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” implying there may be more undisclosed foreign contributions.
Sliwa previously urged the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate claims suggesting that Mamdani’s campaign might be benefiting from obscure “dark money” funneled through foreign nationals into super PACs.
He stated, “This is problematic for Zoran Mamdani and anyone with such PACs, acting as a potential avenue for illegal money.” He added that foreign entities could interfere in elections without traditional warfare.
So far, Mamdani’s campaign has returned only $5,608, including funds from Baria Dardari, his wife’s mother.
Dardari had made a $500 donation in January, reportedly being a pediatrician in Dubai, and the funds were returned the same day they were donated.
Most foreign donations began arriving in June, coinciding with Mamdani’s surprising primary win over New York Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The donations primarily came from a mix of professionals, including technical experts and educators, with some contributing between $1 and $2,100 to Mamdani’s campaign.
Among the prominent donors was James Fleureau, an environmental scientist from Australia, who donated $2,100. He studies climate change effects but has not commented on his contribution.
Another notable contributor, Ada Diaz Ahmed, a Dubai-based investor, also donated $2,100 in September.
A software developer from Canada, Jundai Bates Kobashigawa, made a $250 donation in July, but has not yet provided any comments regarding his involvement.
Ugur Machit, a German software engineer, also contributed $250 to Mamdani’s campaign in August, and similarly, no comments have been received from him.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Embia, a doctor in Canada, made a $100 donation in September without comment.
However, Nupur Amin Marquardt, a U.S. citizen working in Germany, contributed $50 to Mamdani’s campaign, stating she was inspired by his approach. “This is the only campaign I’ve seen that isn’t trying to win by dividing people,” she shared.
Many donations to this socialist endeavor appear to originate outside of New York City, as disclosed in a recent filing. The leading candidates have raised $1.05 million recently, significantly outpacing the $507,000 raised by Cuomo.
The Campaign Finance Commission has refrained from commenting, as they are currently auditing all campaigns for this election cycle.
