Federal Election Commission Warns Kanye West 2024 Campaign of ‘Unauthorized Distribution’ of Funds
The Federal Election Commission sent a letter to Kanye West’s presidential committee on New Year’s Eve, seeking clarification on campaign spending after regulators flagged $21,525 spent on legal fees, financial services and travel expenses following his failed bid for president in 2020.
The letter, which alleged a campaign of “unauthorized disbursements” between May and August in 2023, was sent to West’s new treasurer – Hassan A. It also warned Shaikh to comply immediately with regulatory investigations or face an audit or other enforcement action.
“Although the commission may take further legal action regarding this apparent improper use of committee funds, any further clarifying information you can provide will be considered,” the letter said.
The latest uproar comes eight months after West’s attorney announced he is no longer running for the White House and the sudden departure of campaign treasurer Patrick Cranson, who accused West’s current campaign manager Milo Yiannopoulos of violating federal campaign finance laws. 2022 “Submitted false invoices and expenses which will be considered illegal”.
A recent report by Politico revealed a complaint letter Cranson wrote to the FEC that pointed to expenses for digital assets that Yiannopoulos allegedly paid to West’s campaign and Georgia Republican Rep. Majory sought compensation from Taylor Green’s campaign, for whom she worked as an intern in 2022.
Yiannopoulos later denied the allegations, telling an investigative news outlet that he would “give no credence (to) ridiculous, ludicrous and easily debunked claims.”
Devin White — who served as West’s treasurer at the time of the questionable transactions — admitted he reported the expenses, including meeting with powerful election attorney Bruce Fein in an attempt to cover his treasurer’s fees and a trip he took to Washington this past summer. to fix the campaign’s chaotic financial records and investigate claims against Yiannopoulos.
In a statement to RadarOnline.com, White said there was nothing to hide and that his admission would serve to make the government’s investigation an open-and-shut case.
“It’s a non-factor,” White said, according to the outlet. “They have no leg to stand on,” he added, referring to any potential legal action by the FEC.
Previously, West fired Yiannopoulos from the 2024 campaign, but the controversial right-wing commentator has since rejoined the fold despite Fein’s continued efforts to expose alleged campaign violations, which could result in criminal charges.
Yiannopoulos, a British citizen, claimed he hosted the infamous dinner between West, former President Donald Trump and white supremacist Nick Fuentes at Trump’s lavish Mar-a-Lago mansion in November 2022 — around the same time West began making anti-Semitic comments. . in the media
On the same day as the meeting at Trump’s compound, Yiannopoulos paid GoDaddy $7,000 for a website domain for West’s 2024 presidential campaign. used a credit card associated with Green’s campaign, the Daily Beast reported last May.
West first appeared on the FEC radar shortly after he announced his candidacy in July 2020, when the campaign was marred by numerous controversies leading up to Election Day.
The government accused West’s campaign of making “false or fictitious” filings as the rapper scrambles to submit the federal paperwork needed to run for president.
In at least two filings, West gave his name inconsistently, including “Ye West” and “Mr. Kenya Omari West,” while the 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. lists as their address.
While the errors made by West appear serious, the FEC noted that such filings were common because the commission regularly receives “many false and fictitious filings.”
In 2016, the commission instituted an “interim verification process” that led to official notices to filers who identified themselves as “fictional characters, vulgar language, sexual references, celebrities (where there is no indication that a named celebrity submitted the filing). listed), animals, or similarly obscure entries such as names or contact information.”
A month after he made the announcement, West accused the Wisconsin Democratic Party of spying on his campaign after Democrats filed a complaint with the state Election Commission, alleging that the rap star submitted late paperwork and forged signatures to qualify to vote in the swing state.
West also entered the race late in the game, filing his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on July 15 as an independent candidate.
West officially announced his 2020 bid for the White House on July 19, 2020, in South Carolina, where he gave an impromptu campaign speech in which he proposed paying $1 million to black mothers, denounced abolitionist Harriet Tubman, and wept uncontrollably after the announcement. fell Asked his then-wife Kim Kardashian to consider aborting their first child.
As the campaign seemed to be gaining some traction, reports emerged that Republicans across the country were helping West qualify for the ballot in key states after he apparently missed the filing deadline, raising suspicions that Trump was aiming to steal support. He was forced to run by allies. From Joe Biden.
West was removed from the ballot in his home state of Illinois, where election officials say more than half of his submitted signatures were invalid.
Despite overwhelming popularity in fashion and music, West received only 70,000 votes nationwide, and invested $13 million of his own money into the campaign.
