Washington, D.C. – Today MoveOn Political Action condemns Cornel West’s corrupt ballot access program and collusion with Trump allies to undermine voters and Vice President Harris in key swing states. The Associated Press released a damning story showing that West’s team had fraudulently included the names of unknowing people on its Arizona slate of electors. When contacted, West elector Denisha Mitchell claimed she never agreed to be a West elector, and she didn’t even know what that was – proving a deep level of coordination between the West campaign and Trump’s allies.

In the aftermath, a group of Republican lawyers scrambled to prop up West. The Associated Press writes, “The work by the GOP attorneys appears to be part of a broader effort by conservative activists and Republican-aligned operatives across the country to push West’s candidacy and subvert the integrity of the ballot in the months leading up to November’s presidential election.”

“Cornel West’s campaign has been co-opted by powerful Republicans, and this level of coordination raises very real questions about West’s motives for staying in this race,” said MoveOn Chief Communications Officer Joel Payne. “Donald Trump and his Republican cronies are maniacally focused on carrying out their dangerous Project 2025 agenda, and if West does not disavow their support and drop out, West will be complicit in helping them enact their plan.”

Just last week, USA Today revealed West is working with Blair Consulting Group – a Republican firm – to collect petition signatures in an attempt to help Trump’s chances of winning the state. The firm working with West is run by president David Blair, who is also executive director of the Conservative Leadership PAC, former national director of Youth for Trump, and former Trump Administration appointee.

West has been caught colluding with Republicans in multiple states, including in Virginia, North Carolina, Nebraska, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maine. 

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

• Arizona and Wisconsin are not the only states where West has relied on Republicans and shady tactics to secure a spot on the ballot. 
• In Michigan, West was disqualified from the ballot for failing to have his candidate affidavit properly notarized.
• In North Carolina, West looked to Republican Party lawyers, who have a history of defending voter suppression, to try to sue his way onto the ballot. 
• A dozen paid operatives registered in Arizona to collect signatures on West’s behalf, listing their employer as Wells Marketing—a Republican firm that recently worked for MAGA candidate Blake Masters.
• West’s campaign is broke. According to his last campaign filing, he spent more on graphic design than on petition gathering. 
• West “volunteers” were gathering outside Trump events, asking voters to sign West’s petitions to siphon votes from President Joe Biden.
• Trump allies publicly stated they were plotting to spoil the election against President Biden by backing third-party candidates, including West, Jill Stein, and RFK Jr. 

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