Campus rioters, antagonists boost NYC mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaign with donations: records

Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign has seen a significant boost in donations from various groups, including Israel-bashing campus protesters and other agitators who have been involved in rioting and other offenses. According to election records, Mamdani has received a total of 676 donations from faculty and employees at CUNY, NYU, and Columbia University, amounting to over $48,000.

In addition to donations from faculty and staff, Mamdani has also garnered support from college students, with over 1,351 donations totaling more than $46,200. These donations, when combined with the public funds matching program for small donations, have provided Mamdani with a substantial financial boost.

However, the source of some of these donations has raised concerns among certain groups. Yael Halaas, founder of the American Jewish Medical Association and a Columbia graduate, pointed out that some of the donors to Mamdani’s campaign have been associated with anti-Semitic protests across the country. Halaas emphasized the importance of addressing and condemning this hatred in the political sphere.

Among the donors to Mamdani’s campaign are individuals like Johanna King Slutsky, a Columbia doctoral student who donated $25 to the campaign. King Slutsky, known as “Keffiyeh Karen” for her involvement in protests at Columbia, declined to comment on her donation. Another donor, Eva-Quenby Johnson, a Barnard College employee who was arrested for storming the Columbia University library, donated $25 to Mamdani’s campaign.

Similarly, Gabrielle Wimer, a medical student at Columbia who was arrested for a library protest, and Naomi Schiller, an associate professor at CUNY’s Brooklyn College who participated in recent protests, have also contributed to Mamdani’s campaign. Jennifer Koonings, an Astoria-based nurse practitioner who heckled Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and has made controversial statements about Israel, donated $50 to Mamdani’s campaign.

The involvement of these individuals in protests and controversial actions has sparked outrage among certain groups, highlighting the importance of scrutinizing campaign donations and the potential impact they can have on political candidates. As the mayoral race heats up, Mamdani’s ties to these donors may become a point of contention for voters.