Conservative political donor and real estate magnate Harlan Crow donated thousands of dollars to the independent presidential campaign of Cornel West, Federal Election Commission records showed Wednesday, despite the two men’s vastly different political beliefs.
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Crow—who’s made headlines over the past year for his close relationship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas—donated $3,300, the maximum campaign donation, to West.
Crow has donated large sums to Republican candidates in years past, yet despite their political differences, has referred to West as a “good friend.”
West has positioned himself as alternative to the two-party system and described himself as a “non-Marxist socialist.”
West and Crow did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
Earlier this month, West—who has spent his career as a left-wing activist and philosophy professor at Princeton University— announced he was no longer running for president as a member of the Green Party and instead would run as an independent. In a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, West said he was running as an independent “to end the iron grip of the ruling class and ensure true democracy.”
- That’s the percentage of support West drew in an October 9 Fox News poll that asked voters about a potential three-way matchup between West, former President Donald Trump, and President Joe Biden — with West drawing roughly equal numbers of defectors from Republicans and Democrats. In the hypothetical matchup, Trump was in the lead over Biden by a narrow margin.
Crow’s close relationship with Thomas sparked an ethics conversation earlier this year when ProPublica reported Crow had paid for Thomas’ luxury vacations for years without disclosing the trips. ProPublica cited experts who said Thomas was legally required to disclose the gifts. Among the many details of the relationship ProPublica reported was that Crow paid for Thomas’ grand-nephew’s school tuition, real estate transactions between the two and other luxury vacations and gifts.
Cornel West Drops Green Party Bid—Will Run For President As Left-Wing Independent (Forbes)