Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein spoke at a rally during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where she discussed third-party candidates in the upcoming election. Italo Medelius, co-chairman of Cornel West’s “Justice for All Party” in North Carolina, received help from a man named Paul to put West on the state’s presidential ballot. However, this assistance led to threats and an election board investigation into the motivations and tactics of the new allies.
A network of Republican political operatives is working to promote third-party candidates like West and anti-abortion candidate Randall Terry to draw votes away from Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and benefit former President Donald Trump. The funding source for this effort is unknown, but it could impact states with close margins in the election.
Paul Hamrick, a key figure in the push to get West on multiple state ballots, has a controversial past working with GOP causes and using hardball tactics in political campaigns. Hamrick was involved in a recent incident in Arizona where a woman’s signature was allegedly forged on paperwork to serve as an elector for West.
Despite the efforts of the GOP to support third-party candidates, West did not qualify for the Arizona ballot. The partisan battles over third-party candidates have been described as a “gang war” by Medelius. The involvement of Republican operatives in promoting these candidates raises questions about potential election interference and manipulation.
The push for third-party candidates in battleground states is part of a larger strategy by the GOP to influence the election in favor of Trump, leading to concerns about the integrity of the democratic process.
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