The campaign of prominent mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani has refunded almost $9,000 due to potential illegal foreign contributions. However, an investigation indicates that his campaign is still accepting donations from individuals based overseas.
This revelation came after it was reported that Mamdani’s campaign had received two criminal referrals, shortly after it was disclosed that nearly $13,000 had been raised from foreign donors.
The Democratic mayoral hopeful returned a total of $9,000, but claims the remaining $4,000 was sourced from American citizens living abroad.
During the last filing period, from September 8 to October 20, the campaign refunded 67 donors, totaling $3,893, according to their latest report to the Campaign Finance Board.
One notable return was to Ada Diaz Ahmed, an investor based in Dubai who had contributed up to $2,100.
Interestingly, others who made similar high-value donations, such as Australian climate scientist James Furrow—who was mentioned in an earlier exposé—did not receive refunds.
The campaign asserts that 21 donors are American citizens residing abroad, which is allowed under campaign finance regulations.
Campaign finance records also reveal that Mamdani has continued to collect donations from overseas addresses in the last couple of weeks.
This month alone, he received $130 from three donors located in London, Australia, and Germany; attempts to reach these individuals were unsuccessful.
Although these amounts seem minor, they highlight a possible loophole in the campaign finance system, which relies heavily on the Campaign Finance Board to audit donations instead of having an upfront verification process. This auditing generally takes a significant amount of time.
The Coolidge-Reagan Foundation has drawn attention due to several issues, including a congressional representative from Queens facing criminal charges related to breaches of federal election laws.
A referral letter was dispatched to the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office earlier this week.
Previous reports indicated that ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo’s campaign had accepted around $1,100 in foreign donations, half of which was later returned.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa received $70 from an overseas contributor and has yet to issue a refund.
Cuomo’s campaign stated it returned unverified donations from non-U.S. citizens living abroad, and Sliwa’s campaign has committed to returning any ineligible contributions.
In a statement, CFB spokesperson Daniel Kruzina emphasized that if foreign donations are permitted through the city’s campaign finance portal, it’s a substantial issue that must be resolved, and any improper donations will be returned.
