Someone dropped $1000 to file to form a Super PAC in support of Kanye West’s run for presidency, following his maybe-a-joke-but-maybe-not announcement at Sunday’s Video Music Awards that he’d be a candidate in 2022.
A 24-year-old Baltimore political activist (and, notably, Republican) Eugene Craig filed the paperwork to form Ready for Kanye, explaining to Rolling Stone why Yeezus would make a good candidate:
“We have a gentleman in Mr. West who 1) stands for small business and entrepreneurship, has spoke out against corporatism; 2) is a school choicer, and has spoken about the racial disparities in regards to public school systems; and 3) has openly spoken out against the war on drugs and the pipeline that the war on drugs provides to the private prison systems.”
Craig said that as of right now, the PAC isn’t necessarily looking to raise money for Kanye’s campaign – after all, there may be a sitting Republican president in 2022. But, Craig says, if Kanye does decide to run, “it would be nice to have some data mined and voters reached.”
I mention the $1000 because the Federal Elections Commission’s instructions for forming a Super PAC are as follows:
“A Super PAC (Independent Expenditure-Only Political Committee) or Hybrid PAC (committee that maintains a non-contribution account) must register by filing FEC Form 1 [PDF] (Instructions [PDF]), Statement of Organization within 10 days after raising or spending in excess of $1,000 in connection with federal elections.”
So Craig has both a lot of time and a lot of money on his hands, it would seem. Well, good luck to both Craig and Kanye West – god knows this isn’t actually a further stretch than Donald Trump’s candidacy.
[CNN] [FEC (1), (2)] [Rolling Stone]Original by Rebecca Vipond Brink
