NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Mayoral frontrunner and Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is under fire after his campaign allegedly accepted nearly $13,000 in potentially illegal foreign donations, including one from his mother-in-law in Dubai, records show.
An examination of the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) filings found that at least 170 contributions came from donors with addresses outside the United States. Under federal, state, and city law, only U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents can contribute to political campaigns or political action committees.
Records indicate that while Mamdani’s campaign has returned some questionable contributions, many remain unrefunded. So far, 88 donations totaling $7,190 have not been returned, according to CFB data. In a statement, Mamdani’s campaign said, “We will, of course, return any donations that are not in compliance with CFB law.” However, a campaign spokesperson declined to explain why dozens of foreign contributions are still unreturned.
Mamdani’s campaign has raised $4 million in private donations and received $12.7 million in public matching funds. With less than a month before election day, the campaign holds about $6.1 million in available funds. Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa sharply criticized Mamdani after the revelations, calling for closer scrutiny of his fundraising practices.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, so I would be very concerned,” Sliwa said. “There is probably a lot more in terms of foreign money.”
Sliwa also renewed his earlier calls for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate potential “dark money” networks funneling illegal foreign donations into political campaigns.
“It’s very problematic, not just for Zohran Mamdani, but anybody who has these kinds of PACs,” Sliwa said. “Foreign countries know you don’t have to go to war against America. All you gotta do is manipulate the election.”
Among the foreign contributions was a $500 donation from Bariah Dardari, Mamdani’s mother-in-law, who works as a pediatrician in Dubai. Records show the campaign returned the money the same day it was received in January. Dardari did not respond to requests for comment. The remaining foreign contributions came from professionals and academics living in Canada, Germany, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. Some donations were as small as $1, while others reached the legal maximum of $2,100.
One of the largest foreign donors was James Furlaud, an environmental scientist at the University of Tasmania in Australia, who contributed $2,100. Another donor, Ada Diaz Ahmed, a Dubai-based investor, gave the same amount in September.
Jun-Dai Bates Kobashigawa, a software developer in Montreal, contributed $250, while Ugur Macit, a software engineer in Germany, donated $250 in August. Ahmed Enbya, a physician in Calgary, Canada, gave $100 in September. Some contributions, however, came from U.S. citizens living abroad — donations that are legally allowed. Among them was Nupur Amin Marquardt, a U.S. citizen working in Hamburg, Germany, who contributed $50.
“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,” Marquardt said.
Most of Mamdani’s contributions have come from outside New York City, filings show. In recent weeks, he raised $1.05 million, more than double the $507,000 raised by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The CFB has declined to comment on the case, noting that it is still auditing all city campaigns in this election cycle.
Legal experts note that accepting foreign donations, even unintentionally, can expose campaigns to significant penalties. Violators who knowingly accept illegal foreign funds could face fines or imprisonment. Mamdani’s campaign insists it will comply with all campaign finance laws. Still, critics argue the issue highlights ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in political fundraising.
