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Zohran Mamdani’s campaign took $13,000 in illegal donations? Mother-in-law, others land in hot water
At least 170 of the nearly 54,000 contributions to Zohran Mamdani’s campaign were made by donors outside the United States.
Zohran Mamdani’s campaign accepted nearly $13,000 in potentially illegal foreign donations, the New York Post reported. Among those who donated was the lefty socialist and mayoral frontrunner’s mother-in-law in Dubai.
Upon examining NYC Campaign Finance Board records, the outlet learned that at least 170 of the nearly 54,000 contributions to Mamdani’s campaign were made by donors outside the United States. However, only US citizens or permanent legal residents have the permission to contribute to political campaigns and political action committees under federal, state and city law.
Candidates are expected to return the illegal donations. Those who knowingly accept foreign donations could be put behind bars, or asked to pay hefty fines.
Mamdani’s campaign has yet to return 88 of the foreign donations worth $7,190, according to records. It has brought in $4 million in private donations and also scored $12.7 million in public matching funds. The campaign has about $6.1 million in hand, with election day being less than a month away.
Zohran Mamdani’s campaign issues statement amid criticism
In a statement, Mamdani’s campaign has said that “we will of course return any donations that are not in compliance with CFB law.”
Mamdani is being widely criticized for accepting the foreign donations. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, so I would be very concerned,” said Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa. “There is probably a lot more in terms of foreign money.”
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She told the New York Post, “It’s very problematic, not just for Zohran Mamdani, but anybody who has these kinds of PACs, because it’s a license to illegally funnel money. And foreign countries know you don’t have to go to war against America. All you gotta do is manipulate the election.”
Who were the donors?
The Mamdani campaign has returned $5,608. This includes a donation from Bariah Dardari, the mother of Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji.
According to filings, Dardari gave $500 in January. She listed an address of the hospital in Dubai where she works as a pediatrician. However, the money was returned the same day.
Among those who made the foreign contributions were tech professionals, doctors, university professors, students and retired teachers. Some offered as little as $1, and some as much as $2,100.
James Furlaud, an environmental scientist at Australia’s University of Tasmania, was one of the biggest donors. He pledged $2,100 to the campaign. Another donor who paid the same amount was Ada Diaz Ahmed, a Dubai-based investor.
Jun-Dai Bates Kobashigawa, a software developer who lives in Montreal, Canada, contributed $250 in July. Ugur Macit, who lives in the town of Muhlheim am Main in Germany, donated the same amount in August. Ahmed Enbya, a physician in Calgary, Canada, contributed $100.
Among those who made legal donations was Nupur Amin Marquardt, a US citizen who works as a consultant in Hamburg, Germany. She contributed $50 to Mamdani’s campaign in August. Her donation is permitted as she is a US citizen, according to the Federal Election Commission’s rules.
Marquardt wanted to support the campaign even though she has no connection to New York City. “It’s the only campaign I’ve seen that’s not trying to win by convincing a group of people to hate another group of people,” she said.
City filings showed that most of the donations came from outside New York City. Over the last several weeks, Mamdani took in a total of $1.05 million, which is more than double the $507,000 raised by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
