Exposing the Smears: DoorDash, Bloomberg and Ackman Really Behind Anti-Mamdani Mailers
NYC is HOT right now... in more ways than one.
A Flood of Misleading Mailers...
As the June 24, 2025, voting deadline looms in New York’s mayoral race, a series of striking political flyers have surfaced, targeting Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani. These flyers, emblazoned with headlines like "Zohran Mamdani's Dangerous Agenda" and "Zohran Mamdani: The Wrong Choice," criticize Mamdani for advocating to defund and dismantle the police, being deemed unfit for mayor by The New York Times, and allegedly failing to condemn the Holocaust amid rising antisemitism. They contrast him with Andrew Cuomo, labeled the "best choice for mayor," and urge voters to "Reject Mamdani" and "Vote Cuomo by June 24."
But there’s a key detail that cuts through the noise: these flyers weren’t created or paid for by Mamdani’s opponent or Mamdani himself. Instead, they were funded by Fix the City Inc., a billionaire-backed super PAC, with top donors including Michael Bloomberg, DoorDash, and hedge fund mogul Bill Ackman—none of whom are official participants in the race.
Fix the City Inc.: Who’s Paying to Influence the Race…
Fix the City Inc. is the entity responsible for distributing the barrage of mailers attacking Mamdani. According to the disclaimers on the flyers, these messages are “not expressly or otherwise authorized or requested by any candidate or the candidate’s committee or agent.” That means Cuomo didn’t commission them, and Mamdani certainly didn’t approve them. So who did?
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of NYC, has contributed over $8.3 million to Fix the City.
DoorDash, the Silicon Valley food delivery company, has contributed $1 million, part of a broader $5 million DoorDash pledged to support “pro-local economy candidates” in the NYC elections, per Bloomberg News (May 5, 2025).
Bill Ackman, a hedge fund billionaire with publicly acknowledged ties to Donald Trump, has contributed $250,000 to the effort.
This funding paints a clear picture of a top-heavy campaign fueled by ultra-wealthy individuals and corporate entities, not grassroots civic concern.
DoorDash’s Interests: More Than Just Deliveries...
DoorDash’s entry into NYC’s local politics is not incidental. The company has long been at odds with progressive efforts to regulate the gig economy and improve labor protections for delivery workers—a major pillar of Mamdani’s platform. Mamdani has supported regulations that would increase pay and benefits for delivery drivers, many of whom work for DoorDash.
The company’s decision to donate to Fix the City—while denying direct control over flyer content—has drawn sharp criticism from progressive figures. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and State Senator Zellnor Myrie both publicly condemned DoorDash’s involvement, suggesting the company aims to roll back labor protections passed by the city.
DoorDash claims its donation was not ideological but rather an investment in a more “pro-local economy” administration. However, its political spending suggests a business-first mindset, aligning itself with corporate-friendly, centrist, and even right-leaning candidates if it protects its interests.
About those allegations of Cooperation With ICE...
One of the more explosive, though unverified, accusations against DoorDash in recent weeks involved alleged cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Viral rumors circulating in mid-June 2025—especially on X and Reddit—claimed that DoorDash had shared driver data with ICE, resulting in arrests in Southern California.
However, these claims have been debunked. According to a fact-check published by Yahoo News (June 18, 2025), there is no verified evidence of such cooperation. DoorDash strongly denied the allegations, stating that it has “no special agreements with law enforcement” and only provides user data in compliance with legal requests. Furthermore, no credible outlets have substantiated the claims.
That said, the rumors gained traction in part because gig workers—especially undocumented ones—already face systemic vulnerabilities, and DoorDash has done little publicly to defend immigrant workers in times of crisis. The company was notably silent during the Trump administration’s more aggressive immigration enforcement period, in contrast to Uber, which at least issued public statements and legal support for workers at risk.
Smearing Mamdani: Strategy or Desperation?
The messaging on the flyers presents Mamdani as a radical threat to public safety, Israel, and capitalism itself. One flyer features a quote from a December 2020 Mamdani post: “Defund it. Dismantle it,” referring to the NYPD. Another claims that he “passes on condemning the Holocaust,” and several point to a New York Times editorial saying Mamdani is “uniquely unsuited to the city’s challenges.”
However, Mamdani’s actual platform is far more nuanced. In interviews and debates, he has repeatedly denied wanting to eliminate the NYPD, proposing instead a reallocation of responsibilities—such as transferring mental health crisis response to trained professionals. His proposal includes maintaining police headcounts while improving overall public safety through better social services.
The flyers also resort to Islamophobic imagery, including darkened and altered photos of Mamdani to make him appear more menacing. One particularly egregious flyer was condemned across social media for playing into racist and anti-Muslim tropes. Fix the City later distanced itself from the flyer, claiming it was distributed by mistake.
Fact-Checking the Antisemitism Claims
Among the most serious allegations levied in the flyers is the claim that Mamdani “passes on condemning the Holocaust.” This charge hinges on Mamdani’s advocacy for Palestinian rights and his support of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement—a position that some interpret as hostile to Israel or even antisemitic.
However, a thorough review of Mamdani’s public record reveals no statements denying the Holocaust or supporting antisemitic views. In fact, Mamdani has clearly stated that he believes Israel has a right to exist, though he envisions it as a state with equal rights for all inhabitants. He has expressed discomfort with any state—Jewish or otherwise—that privileges one religious group over others, framing his criticism as a defense of pluralism, not bigotry.
Mamdani has also unequivocally condemned antisemitism in multiple public appearances, and there is no evidence that he has promoted or espoused antisemitic tropes. While his positions on Israeli government policy are controversial to some, equating critique of a nation-state with hatred of a people is a dangerous conflation that dilutes real instances of antisemitism.
The flyers’ attempt to paint Mamdani as antisemitic appears to rely on misrepresentation and innuendo rather than factual evidence. Independent watchdogs and editorial boards have found no credible basis for the accusation, making it one of the more inflammatory and unfounded attacks in the broader smear campaign.
What This Says About Our Democracy...
The massive spending by Fix the City—powered by corporate donors and ultra-wealthy individuals—highlights the increasing influence of outside money in local politics. The attack campaign on Mamdani reflects not a spontaneous outcry from constituents, but a coordinated effort by business elites to prevent a progressive from disrupting their interests.
While DoorDash insists it does not dictate the content of the flyers, its involvement makes clear that it has a stake in the outcome of the election. When voters see Mamdani’s face on a flyer labeled “dangerous,” they should ask themselves not just if the claims are true—but who paid to put that message in their mailbox.
In Closing...
The political flyers attacking Zohran Mamdani are not grassroots expressions of concern—they are the product of a super PAC bankrolled by Michael Bloomberg, DoorDash, and right-wing billionaire Bill Ackman. While the claims on the flyers are inflammatory and misleading, their most troubling feature is their source.
This campaign is less about Mamdani’s record than it is about protecting powerful interests from a candidate who threatens to upend the status quo. Voters would do well to read between the lines, follow the money, and remember that…
when corporations and billionaires flood a political race with anonymous attack ads, democracy itself is what’s really under attack.
(^This is my first article, share me everywhere, please.)
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Fantastic exposé on the depths that the billionaires will sink to in order to sink their talons into what should be a democratic process and society. Well done!