Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has taken almost $13,000 in potentially illegal foreign donations to fund his campaign, according to the New York Post.
The Democrat politician, who is leading the polls to become NYC‘s next mayor, has raked in donations from 170 people whose addresses are registered abroad, and so far, 88 have not been returned.
One donation comes from Mamdani’s mother-in-law in Dubai, while $2,100 came from James Furlaud, an environmental scientist at Australia’s University of Tasmania.
Another $2,100 came from Dubai-based investor Ada Diaz Ahmed, and $250 from Jun-Dai Bates Kobashigawa, according to NYC Campaign Finance Board records seen by the Post.
Federal, state and city laws dictate that only US citizens or permanent legal residents are allowed to contribute to political campaigns.
If a candidate receives an illegal foreign donation, they must return it, and anyone who violates this rule can face hefty fines and even prison time.
However, so far, Mamdani’s campaign has not returned 88 of the foreign donations it received, worth a total of $7,190.
The returned donations include $500 from Dubai-based pediatrician Dr Bariah Dardari, who is the mother of Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji.
Are these violations sufficient to get him deported?!