Former Harvard professor Cornel West’s eligibility for Maine’s presidential ballot has come into question as a mystery surrounding the people who collected signatures to qualify him as a third-party candidate has emerged. West campaign officials stated they did not pay anyone to collect signatures and were not aware of any outside group doing so. However, Rep. Grayson Lookner revealed that he was paid by an outside group, National Ballot Access, to collect signatures for West but stopped after learning of possible Republican involvement to siphon support from Democrats.
Maine’s use of ranked-choice voting in the upcoming presidential election eliminates the risk of a spoiler candidate affecting the outcome. Despite this, outside groups appear to be spending money in Maine as part of a national effort to boost West’s candidacy.
The Associated Press reported on secretive Republican donor funding for West’s ballot drive. The mystery of who funded the petition drive in Maine arose during a hearing on challenges to West’s candidacy. West’s campaign manager denied paying anyone to circulate petitions but acknowledged the possibility of a third party hiring people without their knowledge.
Challengers seeking to disqualify West raised concerns about invalid signatures and deception by circulators. The challenges seem to be part of a nationwide effort by Clear Choice Action to prevent a third-party spoiler in a tight presidential race. Closing arguments are expected to be filed by Friday, with a decision from the Secretary of State to follow.
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