The campaign of democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has seen a notable increase in donations, primarily from protesters and individuals engaged in contentious actions regarding Israel on college campuses.
Mamdani has accumulated 676 donations amounting to over $48,000 from faculty and staff associated with left-leaning institutions like CUNY, NYU, and Columbia University.
Moreover, he has also received more than 1,351 contributions from students at these universities, bringing in another $46,200, as indicated by public records.
This support appears to come largely from pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas advocates, particularly since smaller donations are magnified eightfold with public matching funds.
Prominent leaders from major Jewish medical organizations have expressed strong concerns regarding these donations to Mamdani, describing it as troubling.
“Some donors to the Mamdani campaign should be a warning signal for voters. These individuals are, in fact, tied to the core of anti-Semitic protests across the nation,” remarked Yael Harras, the founder of the American Jewish Medical Association and a Columbia graduate.
“We need to unite and declare that this kind of hatred cannot be accepted. Our voices need to resonate in this and upcoming elections.”
Donors:
– Johanna King Slatsky, a doctoral lecturer at Columbia, made headlines for her controversial actions last year involving aid to protesters who violently occupied prestigious universities. She donated $25 to Mamdani’s campaign on January 6th, according to records.
King Slatsky did not provide commentary when contacted.
– Eva-Quenby Johnson, an employee at Barnard University, contributed $25 to Mamdani on March 12th. She had previously faced arrest during an event at the Columbia Library on May 7th.
Johnson co-hosts a podcast focused on paranormal influences in American culture, describing herself as “paranordinary.”
Sources indicate that she was dismissed from her position at Barnard.
– Gabriel Wimmer, a medical student associated with Columbia, made a $25 donation on January 10th. He had also faced arrest in March linked to a library disturbance at Barnard.
Wimmer could not be reached for further comment regarding his situation.
– Naomi Schiller, an anthropology associate professor at CUNY’s Brooklyn College, participated in a recent protest leading to multiple arrests. She has made five contributions to Mamdani, totaling $128.
She had previously been arrested last fall during a protest over a Union contract issue at CUNY.
– Jennifer Kooning, a nurse practitioner from Astoria, has described Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a “war criminal” during a town hall meeting. She is a donor to Mamdani, having contributed $50 in December.
On social media, Kooning has labeled Israel as a “Zionist colony,” and was involved in an attempt to sail to Gaza to challenge the blockade.
