Several top Republicans operatives, some of whom are linked to President Donald Trump, are helping Kanye West‘s presidential campaign in several states to get on the November ballot.
On Tuesday, a local reporter in Wisconsin recorded Lane Ruhland, GOP election lawyer and a former legal counsel for the state Republican Party, dropping off West ballot signatures.
A number of people linked to Republican politics are associated with West’s campaign. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also reported that at least five other people connected to West’s Wisconsin bid are Republicans.
“Thankfully the Trump team is showing their cards that the real force driving Kanye West to run is not people but Trump,” state Rep. David Bowen told CNN. “This is clearly a targeted effort by Republican operatives to cause confusion and problems for typically Democratic voters on Election Day.”
The Republicans’ efforts to get West on the ballot raise concerns that it might be an attempt to draw votes from Trump’s main competitor, Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden.
Trump denied being involved in helping his campaign.
“I like Kanye very much,” Trump said at the White House on Wednesday. “I have nothing to do with him being on the ballot. I’m not involved.”
The Wisconsin Republican Party, in a statement to CNN on Wednesday, said they welcomed West’s addition to the ballot and Ruhland’s involvement.
“It appears that the Kanye West campaign made a smart decision by hiring an experienced election attorney,” said Alesha Guenther, the party’s spokesperson. “We welcome Kanye West and all other candidates who qualified for ballot access to the race, and look forward to delivering Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes to President Trump.”
Gregg Keller, the former executive director of the American Conservative Union and longtime Republican operative, has been linked to West’s campaign in Arkansas.
