Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is questioning why wealthy Californians are bankrolling a New York City mayoral candidate, warning that out-of-state influence is reshaping local politics.
Out-Of-State Donors Dominate Zohran Mamdani's Super PAC
Ackman sounded off on X after the New York Post reported that 78% of the nearly $2.4 million raised by a super political action committee backing New York lawmaker Zohran Mamdani came from outside the state.
California donors contributed more than $760,000, with most of that sum traced to just two individuals.
"We don't allow foreigners to fund elections in America. Why should we allow Californians to fund elections in NY when they don't have to live with the consequences?" Ackman wrote.
NYC Leaders Push Back Against California Influence
Mayor Eric Adams' campaign echoed that criticism, with spokesman Todd Shapiro saying, "Mamdani's campaign isn't about New York City — it's about fueling a national socialist movement bankrolled by donors in California and beyond.”
“New Yorkers don't need lectures from California millionaires about how to live, work, and raise their families," he said.
Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa also weighed in, calling the support "Astroturf."
He said, "When the PAC propping up Zohran Mamdani gets nearly 80% of its money from out of state, halfway across the country like California, that isn't grassroots; it's Astroturf, and he isn't who he says he is."
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Trump And Ackman Target Mamdani Amid Crime And Bail Reform Debate
In July, President Donald Trump urged a federal takeover of New York City and Washington, D.C., blaming crime and poor leadership, while Ackman criticized Mamdani's push to reduce the Rikers Island jail population.
At a White House Cabinet meeting, Trump warned that electing "a communist" like Mamdani could be disastrous for New York, while reiterating his call for federal oversight of D.C.
Ackman argued that bail reform had weakened policing and left Rikers with only the most dangerous inmates. He accused Mamdani of seeking early release for such offenders, labeling the idea "scary."
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist from Queens, countered by pointing to rising jail numbers under Adams and said court delays, not just crime, were keeping more than 1,500 people behind bars for over a year awaiting trial.
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