NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani Faces Criminal Referrals Over Foreign Donations Amid Fundraising Surge

Zohran Mamdani, the leading Democratic Socialist candidate in the 2025 New York City mayoral race, has faced scrutiny over his campaign's acceptance of foreign donations, with reports showing nearly $13,000 received from overseas donors, leading to criminal referrals filed by the Coolidge Reagan Foundation. Although Mamdani's campaign returned about $9,000 of these donations, it continues to accept contributions from American citizens living abroad, which is legal under campaign finance law. His campaign fundraising has also raised concerns as over half of his $1.05 million raised in a five-week period came from outside New York City, a point of criticism given the local nature of the mayoral role. Despite this, supporters argue his grassroots funding model, reminiscent of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, reduces reliance on traditional Wall Street interests and energizes progressive movements nationwide. Mamdani's platform focuses on progressive policies like rent freezes, free bus rides, affordable housing, and taxing millionaires, which appeals to many New Yorkers and has helped him maintain a leading position in the race. Critics caution that substantial out-of-town funding may question his focus on local priorities, while his campaign maintains rigorous compliance processes and stresses donations from U.S. citizens abroad are lawful.