The Federal Election Commission sent a letter to Kanye West’s presidential committee on New Year’s Eve, seeking clarification on campaign expenditures after regulators flagged $21,525 the rapper spent on legal fees, financial services, and travel expenses following his failed bid for president in 2020.
The letter, which accused the campaign of an “unauthorized disbursement” from May to August in 2023, also cautioned West’s new treasurer — Hassan A. Sheikh — to comply with the regulatory investigation promptly 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 that you can provide will be taken into consideration,” the letter stated.
The latest tumult comes after West’s attorney declared that he is no longer running for the White House and eight months after the abrupt departure of campaign treasurer Patrick Kranson, who accused West’s current campaign manager, Milo Yiannopoulos, of violating federal campaign finance laws, claiming he “submitted falsified invoices and expenditures that would be deemed unlawful” in 2022.
A recent report by Politico revealed a complaint letter written by Kranson to the FEC that called attention to an expense for a digital asset for which Yiannopoulos allegedly sought reimbursement from West’s campaign and the campaign of Republican Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, whom he worked with as an intern in 2022.
Later, Yiannopoulos denied the accusations, telling the investigative news outlet he wouldn’t “give any credence [to] ridiculous, ridiculous and easily disproven claims.”
Devin White — who served as West’s treasurer at the time of the suspect transactions — admitted that he reported the expenses, which covered his treasurer fees and a trip he took to Washington this past summer to meet with powerful election attorney…
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