A screenshot surfaced on November 6, 2025, depicting an Iranian newspaper – a silent witness to a complex web of influence surrounding a recent mayoral campaign. The campaign of Zohran Mamdani, it would emerge, was fueled by a powerful network, a confluence of activist groups with ties stretching across ideological divides and even international borders.
This wasn’t a typical political operation. It was a carefully constructed ecosystem, drawing strength from Marxist and Islamist movements, some already under scrutiny by Congress for their connections to foreign entities and extremist ideologies. The story unfolds through key organizations, individuals, and the often-hidden channels of funding that propelled Mamdani’s rise.
At the heart of Mamdani’s support was Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), an immigrant-rights organization, and its political arm, DRUM Beats. They orchestrated a massive voter mobilization effort within the South Asian community, a crucial component of his victory. But DRUM’s connections ran deeper, leading to a socialist organization called The People’s Forum.
The People’s Forum wasn’t funded by ordinary donors. Its financial lifeline came through a network linked to Neville Roy Singham, a U.S. citizen residing in Shanghai, and with significant ties to the Chinese Communist Party. This connection introduced a powerful, and potentially problematic, foreign influence into the American political landscape.
The People’s Forum worked hand-in-hand with the ANSWER Coalition, a front for the Marxist-Leninist Workers World Party (WWP) and its offshoot, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). This alliance revealed a surprising convergence: a blend of far-left ideology and international socialist principles, all converging on a single political goal.
Mamdani’s own political journey began during his time at Bowdoin College, where he co-founded the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). He credits this experience as the genesis of his activism, unknowingly stepping into a network with far-reaching implications.
SJP, founded by Hatem Bazian, operates under the umbrella of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). Following the October 7th attacks on Israel, AMP publicly expressed support for Hamas, a designation that immediately raised red flags and intensified scrutiny. The leadership within SJP included individuals with past involvement in organizations linked to Hamas, groups previously shut down or sanctioned for providing financial support.
Investigations consistently identified AMP as a central hub for pro-Hamas activism within the United States. Through SJP, Mamdani became connected to what congressional reports described as the “Hamas-linked” side of this intricate network, a disturbing revelation about the origins of his political support.
This seemingly disparate network – CCP-funded Marxist-Leninists and Hamas-linked activists – found common ground in joint campaigns like “Shut It Down for Palestine” (SID4P). Co-organized by SJP, the ANSWER Coalition, and The People’s Forum, SID4P became a focal point for their shared objectives: opposition to Israel and a broader anti-American sentiment.
The alliance wasn’t confined to U.S. borders. Pakistan’s Haqooq-e-Khalq Party (HKP), a socialist party, further blurred the lines. Founded by Cambridge-educated Ammar Ali Jan, HKP advocates for a fusion of nationalist and socialist revolutionary movements, maintaining close ties with both The People’s Forum and DRUM.
On the ground in New York, Kazi Fouzia, DRUM’s director of organizing, spearheaded neighborhood-level mobilization efforts that proved critical to Mamdani’s primary victory. A Bangladeshi immigrant, she described her group’s influence with stark confidence: “We’re like a gang… people just move aside when we’re here.”
The convergence of Mamdani’s origins in SJP, the unwavering support from DRUM and The People’s Forum, and the collaborative activities of CCP-funded and Hamas-linked groups painted a disturbing picture: a unified network, an unprecedented alliance of communist, Islamist, and foreign-funded entities operating within the American political system.
The implications extended beyond political strategy. Potential legal issues loomed, including possible violations of federal nonprofit law and foreign-agent statutes. The close relationship between DRUM and DRUM Beats raised concerns about compliance with 501(c)(3) regulations, which prohibit direct political campaigning by tax-exempt organizations.
Further complicating matters, Kazi Fouzia continued to list her position as DRUM’s director of organizing on her LinkedIn profile even while actively campaigning for Mamdani, blurring the lines between organizational roles. Campaign finance records revealed approximately $13,000 in donations from donors with foreign addresses, a significant portion of which were later refunded after scrutiny.
The Coolidge-Reagan Foundation filed criminal referrals alleging illegal foreign contributions, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith demanded records, citing evidence that the network may have acted as an unregistered foreign agent of the Chinese Communist Party while maintaining U.S. tax-exempt status. Activities involving foreign funding and coordination with overseas political entities could potentially violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Senator Marco Rubio formally requested an investigation by Attorney General Merrick Garland into whether Neville Roy Singham and the organizations he funds were violating FARA provisions. According to the Network Contagion Institute, the “Shut It Down for Palestine” coalition, of which several campaign-affiliated groups were members, received financial and logistical support from CCP-aligned entities, mirroring Beijing’s propaganda strategy.
The International ANSWER Coalition, a key partner in this network, is operated by the Workers World Party (WWP), a Marxist-Leninist communist organization with a long history of defending authoritarian regimes, including North Korea and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. The FBI once described WWP as a “hard-line communist organization dedicated to world revolution.”
In 2022, DRUM’s executive director, Fahd Ahmed, publicly praised his engagement with leaders from Haqooq-e-Khalq Party, a radical Pakistani socialist movement. Simultaneously, The People’s Forum faced congressional investigation for potential CCP ties and foreign funding, with Senator Chuck Grassley citing evidence of financing through Singham’s China-linked network.
The Program on Extremism at George Washington University further identified The People’s Forum within a broader network of U.S. activist groups funded by Singham, engaged in pro-Palestinian organizing that echoed CCP-influenced narratives. The story wasn’t just about a mayoral campaign; it was about the subtle, yet powerful, intrusion of foreign influence into the heart of American democracy.
