Zohran Mamdani allegedly received nearly $13K from at least 170 overseas donors

First on Fox: With one week left until New York City’s high-stakes election Day, campaign finance watchdog group the Reagan College Foundation filed two criminal referrals against Democratic New York mayoral candidate Zahran Mamdani on Tuesday.

A review of financial reports earlier this month revealed that Mamdani’s campaign accepted nearly $13,000 from at least 170 donors outside the United States, raising questions about his campaign’s financial commitment, as only US citizens or legal permanent residents are allowed to contribute to US political campaigns.

“These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,” Dan Packer, a national campaign finance expert and president of the Reagan Coolidge Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “This was an ongoing pattern of foreign money flowing into the New York City mayoral race, a clear violation of both federal law and New York City campaign finance rules. The Mamdani campaign knew for months that it was accepting illegal foreign contributions, yet did nothing meaningful to stop it.”

CRF sent criminal referrals to Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday morning, citing potential violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act, making it illegal to “accept or receive” contributions from foreign nationals in any federal, state or local election.

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“The law is quite clear that foreign nationals may not participate in US elections, and this includes making contributions. However, Mamdani’s campaign has repeatedly accepted donations from individuals abroad,” Packer added, adding that “this conduct, whether by negligence or intent, undermines the integrity of the democratic process.”

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The Justice Department’s referral calls for a criminal investigation “into potential violations of FECA,” while the Manhattan referral cites “potential violations of New York Election Law § 17.152, making it a misdemeanor for two or more persons to conspire to promote an election by unlawful means.”

“Foreign money in US elections is not just a technical violation, it is a threat to self-government,” said CRF President Sean McCutcheon. “Every dollar illegally transferred to a campaign from abroad dilutes the voice of legitimate American voters. This case must be immediately investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable.”

Supporters of Democratic mayoral candidate Zahran Mamdani gather outside 30 Rock in New York City on Thursday, October 16, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavy)

According to a Fox News Digital review of New York City Campaign Finance Board filings, Mamdani’s campaign raised nearly $13,000 from donors with foreign addresses, including a $500 donation in January from his mother-in-law in Dubai, which was returned four days later.

As of October 14, the files revealed 91 foreign donations had been recovered, totaling $5,723.50.

The New York Post was the first to report on the out-of-town donations. “We will of course return any donations that do not comply with the CFB Code,” Mamdani’s campaign told the channel last month.

But the CRF argued that “returning questionable donations does not cure the violation.”

“CRF respectfully urges you to investigate and prosecute Mamdani’s apparent acceptance of illegal contributions from foreign nationals to his mayoral campaign,” Packer wrote in the criminal referrals.

Supporters of New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zahran Mamdani gather outside LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, New York City, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavy)

Although he acknowledged that some overseas donations could come from “American citizens living abroad who are legally entitled to contribute,” Packer claimed that “the totality of the circumstances indicates a reasonable possibility that a significant number of these contributions are illegal.”

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“While he was well aware of this influx of illegal foreign contributions, he appears to have done nothing throughout most of 2025 to prevent his campaign from accepting them in the first place,” Packer said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.