A campaign finance watchdog group has filed criminal referrals against New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani with the Department of Justice.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation submitted the complaints on Tuesday.
The foundation alleges Mamdani’s campaign accepted illegal donations from foreign donors.
The referrals were sent to both federal and local prosecutors.
A review of Mamdani’s campaign finances revealed he received $13,000 from 170 donors located outside the United States, according to Fox News.
The socialist candidate is running for mayor of New York City.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation filed two separate criminal referrals on Tuesday. One was sent to the federal level and another to local authorities.
A campaign finance expert with the CRF told Fox News Digital the violations were not minor mistakes.
“These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,” the expert stated.
The expert continued, “This was a sustained pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race which is a clear violation of both federal law and New York City campaign finance rules.”
The foundation claims Mamdani’s campaign was aware of the problem for an extended period.
“Mamdani’s campaign was on notice for months that it was accepting illegal foreign contributions, and yet it did nothing meaningful to stop it,” the CRF expert told Fox News Digital.
The Mamdani campaign issued a response to the accusations. The campaign stated that 31 of the 170 donors have proven their citizenship or legal permanent residence.
Those 31 donors have been deemed permissible by the Campaign Finance Board, according to the campaign’s statement.
The remaining 139 donors have had their donations refunded.
The CRF sent its criminal referral to Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the US Department of Justice’s Criminal Division on Tuesday.
The foundation also sent a referral to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.
The campaign finance expert emphasized the legal prohibitions against foreign involvement in American elections.
“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.
The expert argued the conduct was problematic regardless of intent.
The expert stated “whether through negligence or intent, this conduct undermines the integrity of the democratic process.”
The DOJ referral calls for an investigation into potential FECA violations. FECA refers to the Federal Election Campaign Act.
The Manhattan version of the criminal referral cites different violations.
It mentions “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.”
CRF Chairman Shaun McCutcheon issued a statement about the referrals. He emphasized the impact of foreign money on American voters.
“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,” McCutcheon said.
The criminal referrals now sit with federal and local prosecutors.
It remains to be seen whether either office will pursue an investigation into the matter.
