Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani’s campaign paid the local branch of the Democratic Socialists of America more than $28,000 – around the same time group leaders boasted about their influence over the candidate, records show.
The purpose of the Sept. 15 payment to the New York City DSA was simply listed as “Texting” on newly revealed campaign finance records first reported by Fox News Digital — bringing the total paid out by Mamdani’s camp to the uber liberal group up to $33,000 since the start of the election cycle.
DSA leaders have bragged about their involvement in Mamdani’s campaign at a meeting of the NYC-DSA on the Lower East Side on Saturday, The Post previously reported.
“Our endorsed candidates are expected to follow the will of the membership,” Darren Goldner, a chapter leader, said at the meeting.
“We work very closely with Zohran,” he said. “A lot of Zohran staff are DSA members and leaders.”
The NYC-DSA endorsed Mamdani’s candidacy in October 2024 before he even officially launched his mayoral campaign and the group also endorsed Mamdani’s successful run for New York State Assembly in 2019.
At Saturday’s meeting, the leaders revealed that if Mamdani becomes mayor, they expect him to meet weekly with DSA leaders to discuss their priorities, as the 33-year-old has been doing since he was elected to the Assembly.
The purpose field for September’s whopping payment was listed as “Other: explntion” (sic) and an explanation of the purpose field read “Texting.”
Most of the other payments, which were split up between 35 smaller amounts, listed “Fundraising / Fundraising Emails” in the purpose field.
A spokesperson from the Mamdani campaign did not respond to The Post’s question about the payments.
NYC-DSA co-chair Grace Mausser told The Post the payments went toward text and email communications, as the disclaimer on the campaign finance documents said.
“NYC-DSA is committed to supporting Zohran Mamdani by contacting our members to encourage them to volunteer for his campaign and to vote for him,” Mausser said.
The lefty darling of the radical group going up against GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, with the general election less than a month away.
He easily dispatched Cuomo and other Democrats in a crowded ranked-choice party primary, sending shockwaves through Big Apple political circles as moderates and business leaders worry his positions might be too extreme for the city if he becomes mayor.
Goldner, the chapter leader, said during the same meeting that the DSA was instrumental in helping Madmani’s campaign.
“Zohran running for mayor would not have happened without the DSA,” Goldner said. “He planned and built his run as a DSA campaign. And he was not going to run without the DSA.”
Mamdani has refused to say whether he backs some of the group’s far-left positions, including calling for the end of school safety officers in school buildings, letting loose people in jail for drug crimes or sex work and allowing non-citizens to vote.
But he’s tried to distance himself from some of his past views – like defunding the police and refusing to denounce “globalize the intifada” as the campaign has continued.
