New York.- The Dominican-born council member Christopher Marte, representative of Manhattan’s District 1, is facing questions after an employee in his office alleged that she was purportedly instructed to participate in fundraising activities related to the official’s political campaign and an external organization that promoted his political interests.
The complaint was filed by Meng Qin Zou, who appears in the official City Council directory as a community liaison for Marte’s office. The employee maintains that she was asked to perform fundraising tasks outside of her government hours to benefit both the council member’s campaign and the No More 24 PAC group.
The allegations gain relevance because Zou holds a position funded by public resources, while electoral activities are subject to specific transparency and oversight rules in New York. The city’s Campaign Finance Board maintains mechanisms to track the income and expenses of candidates and independent organizations.
According to the reports published on the case, the worker alleges that Marte had indicated that she should collaborate in seeking contributions for his campaign and for the external organization. The accusations have not been proven and, as of now, constitute allegations made by the employee.
No More 24 PAC presents itself publicly as a political organization created to support candidates who back specific labor demands in New York. On its own website, the group expressly declares its intention to support Marte in his leadership aspirations within the City Council.
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The organization’s name is related to the No More 24 campaign, a movement that seeks to end the 24-hour continuous shifts worked by certain home care workers. Marte has been one of the main promoters of legislation on that issue in the City Council.
The matter takes on an additional dimension because Marte’s mother worked as a home care assistant and worked 24-hour shifts, a family experience that the councilman has cited publicly when advocating for changes in the working conditions of this sector.
According to the released allegations, Zou also reportedly claimed that Marte’s political circle attempted to fire her in June 2026. The Council’s official directory, however, still identifies her as a staff member of the District 1 office.
Marte has represented District 1 since 2022, which includes sectors such as Chinatown, the Lower East Side, the Financial District, Tribeca, Little Italy, Soho, and Battery Park City. Currently, he also co-chairs the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus of the City Council.
The politician was re-elected in November 2025 with 71.6% of the vote, after previously prevailing in a competitive Democratic primary. His current term runs until January 2030.
The controversy now focuses attention on the nature of the tasks that were supposedly assigned to the employee and whether there was an adequate separation between her responsibilities as a municipal government worker and any activity linked to electoral interests.
