[ad_1]
Kanye West filed a document with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, seemingly confirming he is moving forward with his 2020 bid for president of the United States.
Fox News obtained the 43-year-old rapper’s Statement of Candidacy document, which lists his party affiliation as “BDY,” which stands for “Birthday Party.” His committee’s name is also listed on the document as “Kanye 2020.”
The document was filed one day after a Statement of Organization was submitted to the FEC with West’s name on it. A Statement of Organization is a political committee’s registration form that authorizes it to raise and spend money. The Statement of Candidacy document is filed once an individual has triggered candidacy status, meaning West has raised more than $5,000 through campaign activity, an FEC spokesperson confirmed to Fox News.
Kanye West tweeted his decision to run for president of the United States on July 4.
(Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
West’s Cody, Wyo. address is also listed on the candidacy document.
“I hereby designate the following named political committee as my Principal Campaign Committee for the 2020 election,” it reads.
The filing comes on the heels of reports that the Yeezy founder suspended his much-gossiped about presidential bid. It also comes one day after the Oklahoma State Election Board tweeted Wednesday that West has qualified in the Sooner State to be on the ballot. Wednesday was the state’s deadline for independent and unrecognized party presidential candidates to file statements of candidacy with their petitions or filing fees.
KANYE WEST’S WIFE KIM KARDASHIAN ‘HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE’ OF HUSBAND’S PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS: REPORT
The state posted his statement of candidacy on its website and listed him as a candidate online. Fox News also confirmed with a spokeswoman for the election board that West has qualified.
“This afternoon we received a properly executed statement of candidacy for Kanye West, along with the appropriate filing fee in lieu of petition,” Oklahoma State Election Board spokeswoman Misha Mohr told Fox News. “Kanye West is now qualified as an independent candidate for President of the United States in Oklahoma and will appear on the General Election ballot.”
Earlier this week The Intelligencer reported that he had suspended his campaign despite hiring both “paid and volunteer” staff to help him secure signatures in Florida and South Carolina to get him on the ballot.
West initially shared his dreams of being a candidate to run against President Trump and Joe Biden in a tweet on the Fourth of July.
KANYE WEST NO LONGER SUPPORTS TRUMP, SAYS BIDEN NOT ‘SPECIAL’
“We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION,” he wrote.
Days later, West conducted a lengthy interview with Forbes in which he declared he no longer supported Trump and said that Biden was not “special.”
He also told the magazine that he is pro-life, pro-school prayer, against the death penalty and will run as an Independent — though in the interview he also mentioned the “Birthday Party.”
West’s presidential dreams also sparked some debate after the rapper took to Twitter to share his pro-life stance, leading to a clash with Planned Parenthood. But West did continue to squash the doubt surrounding his decision, as he posted a video documenting him registering to vote in Wyoming to his Twitter account, which boasts nearly 30 million followers.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
TMZ also reported that West’s family was concerned about his tweet declaring his candidacy and that he was suffering a bipolar episode based on his presidential aspirations. The tabloid added that “our sources say his family and those close to him are worried, but they believe things will stabilize as they have in the past.”
The FEC confirmed to Fox News that while it cannot confirm the legitimacy of its filings, candidates or committees can make a statement to the public to legitimize their status. Reps for West did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly, Peter Doocy and Pat Ward contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link