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Lawyers for Kanye West have argued that signatures of Mickey Mouse and Bernie Sanders should be proven false or otherwise accepted on the nomination papers to qualify the rapper for the Wisconsin presidential election.
After trying to block West from running for president in November, attorney Michael Curran presented a 23-page response to the Wisconsin Election Commission and said technical challenges over signatures were “wrong and misinformed.”
Mr. Curran wrote that the burden is on the complainant to prove by “clear and convincing evidence” that the signatures are false and should be struck out of the nomination papers.
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“A complainant cannot simply file a case, with little or no evidence, and move the burden to the candidate to prove validity – that is what Complainants are trying to do here,” Mr Curran wrote, as first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Tuesday. “As such, and proposed challenges, with little or no supporting evidence, should be dismissed.”
The submission was in response to a challenge from West’s nomination papers attempting to steal 299 signatures that are said to lack complete and accurate identifying information, plus four all false signatures belonging to Mr Sanders, Mr Mouse, and two of “Kanye West” himself.
The complaint, filed by Jeffrey A Mendell on behalf of the State Democratic Party, alleged that the nominating papers were not properly submitted with the required number of signatures.
“Several signatories have signed the nomination papers with apparently false names,” the complaint said. “It is impossible to verify if someone who gives a false name is an election program that is eligible to sign a candidate’s nomination papers. Therefore, all such signatures must be revoked. “
Neither Mr West’s lawyer, Mr Curran, nor the complainant’s lawyer, Mr Mendell, responded. The Independent’s request to respond to the applications.
Also included in the challenge against West that appears on the presidential vote is that the signatures were introduced after the August 4 deadline.
Mr West’s campaign claimed that, for the average observer, arriving 14 seconds after the 5 – hour cut would be considered “arriving no later” than 5pm. And even if that was settled late, the nomination papers would have to count because state election officials had locked the door of their agency before the deadline
The complaints against the signatures, and the timing of their delivery, were part of an organized effort by the Democratic Party and its wealthy allies who feared West’s candidacy, according to Mr Curran’s preservation.
“The Kanye West campaign represents a unifying, inspiring and faith-based vision that successfully motivates disenfranchised and previously unengaged voters to participate in the political process,” Mr Curran wrote in the submission.
“People of color have long been marginalized in this country. By trying to dissuade Kanye West and silence the voices of the people who signed up to place him, the Complainants continue this marginalization simply because Mr West’s views and perspectives on issues do not agree with her and those of the party they represent. “
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