‘Complete hypocrite:’ Mamdani-backed Congress candidate slams billionaires and AI industry while raking in their cash
Publish Date: 2026-06-06 15:59:00
Source Domain: nypost.com
- Queens Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, while running for Congress on a platform attacking billionaires and the AI industry, has been quietly accepting donations from billionaires like Tom Preston-Werner and employees of AI companies, totaling over $9,000.
- Despite her public stance against “the billionaire class” and donors from the AI sector, Valdez’s campaign has raised over $751,000 as of March, much of which comes from PACs linked to billionaires and AI investors.
- Valdez also criticizes systemic economic and environmental problems tied to AI and tech moguls, but accepts funding from individuals with ties to entities she attacks, including those in the immigration enforcement sector.
- Her campaign claims to be grassroots-driven with small donations from over 20,000 supporters, though significant contributions from wealthy donors and industries she opposes are evident.
- Valdez is contending in a Democratic primary for the New York 7th Congressional District seat, competing with other candidates including Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, endorsed by retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez and the far-left Working Families Party.
