New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani speaks during an interview on "The Story with Martha MacCallum" at Fox News on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
"The law is crystal clear that foreign nationals may not participate in American elections, and that includes making contributions. Yet Mamdani’s campaign repeatedly accepted donations from individuals abroad," Backer added, arguing that "whether through negligence or intent, this conduct undermines the integrity of the democratic process."
ZOHRAN MAMDANI'S $1M FUNDRAISING HAUL FUELED BY OUT-OF-STATE DONORS, DATA REVEALS
The DOJ referral calls for a criminal investigation "into potential FECA violations," while the Manhattan referral cites "possible violations of New York Election Law § 17.152, which makes it a misdemeanor for two or more persons to conspire to promote an election by unlawful means."
"Foreign money in American elections is not just a technical violation, it is a threat to self-government," CRF Chairman Shaun McCutcheon said. "Every dollar illegally funneled into a campaign from abroad dilutes the voice of lawful American voters. This case must be investigated immediately, and those responsible held accountable."
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani supporters gathered outside LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City in New York City on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)
While acknowledging that some of the donations from outside the country could be from "U.S. citizens living abroad who are legally entitled to contribute," Backer argued that "the totality of the circumstances suggests a reasonable likelihood a substantial number of these contributions are illegal."
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"Despite being well aware of this influx of illegal foreign contributions, it appears he did nothing throughout most of 2025 to prevent his campaign from accepting them in the first place," Backer charged.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdani-faces-criminal-referrals-over-alleged-foreign-donations-nyc-mayoral-campaign