Mamdani Faces Criminal Referrals To DOJ
Criminal Referrals Filed
A campaign finance watchdog has filed two criminal referrals against Zohran Mamdani,
the leading candidate for New York City mayor, accusing him of taking “illicit donations from overseas contributors.”
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation sent the referrals to the Department of Justice and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Foreign Donations Alleged
The group claims Mamdani violated federal and state election laws after
reports that his campaign received about $13,000 from at least 170 people abroad.
“These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,”
said Dan Backer, the foundation’s president.
Legal Concerns
Backer added, “This was a sustained pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race,”
and warned that knowingly accepting such donations can result in “big fines and jail time.”
Campaign Response
Mamdani’s team said it has returned about $9,000 in foreign donations and will “comply with all laws” while reviewing the issue.
