With early voting underway in New York, Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is facing renewed scrutiny over his campaign’s fundraising practices. The Coolidge Reagan Foundation, a conservative campaign-finance watchdog, filed two criminal referrals Tuesday alleging Mamdani accepted donations from foreign nationals — a violation of both federal and city election laws.

The foundation’s president, Dan Backer, said the pattern of foreign-linked donations amounted to “a sustained flow of illegal money” into the campaign. “This was not a clerical error,” Backer told Fox News Digital. “It was a sustained pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race — a clear violation of both federal law and city rules.”

According to campaign filings reviewed earlier this month, Mamdani’s campaign accepted roughly $13,000 from at least 170 donors listing foreign addresses, raising red flags with regulators. Under U.S. law, only American citizens and lawful permanent residents may contribute to political campaigns, though citizens abroad are still allowed to donate.

Mamdani’s campaign insists the matter has been fully addressed. “Thirty-one of the 170 donors have proven their citizenship or legal permanent residence and have been deemed permissible by the Campaign Finance Board,” said campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec. “The remaining 139 have had their donations refunded.”

Pekec added that the campaign maintains “a rigorous compliance process” and “promptly issues refunds for any donations that are found to be impermissible.”

The Coolidge Reagan Foundation, however, argues refunds don’t erase potential violations. “Returning questionable donations doesn’t cure the violation,” Backer wrote in his referral to federal prosecutors. The group urged both the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to launch investigations into “potential FECA violations” and “possible violations of New York Election Law §17.152,” which criminalizes conspiring to promote an election by unlawful means.

A Fox News Digital review of public filings found donations totaling about $13,000 from addresses outside the United States, including one $500 contribution in January from Mamdani’s mother-in-law in Dubai, which was refunded within four days. As of October 14, Mamdani’s filings show 91 refunds totaling $5,723.50 had been issued.

The New York Post first reported the out-of-country donations, prompting questions about the campaign’s vetting process. At the time, Mamdani’s team said, “We will of course return any donations that are not in compliance with CFB law.”

Still, CRF Chair Shaun McCutcheon said the pattern deserves more than administrative correction. “Foreign money in American elections is not just a technical violation — it is a threat to self-government,” McCutcheon said. “Every dollar illegally funneled into a campaign from abroad dilutes the voice of lawful American voters.”

Campaign finance officials note that not all foreign addresses equate to illegal donations — many U.S. citizens living overseas routinely contribute to American campaigns. But the foundation’s referral argues the “totality of circumstances” suggests a “reasonable likelihood a substantial number of these contributions are illegal.”

Backer contends Mamdani’s campaign “was on notice for months” but “did nothing meaningful to stop it.”

Whether prosecutors pursue the referrals remains unknown, but the timing ensures the issue will shadow Mamdani through Election Day — adding one more twist to a race already marked by ideological battles and questions of political ethics.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)