A team of attorneys closely tied to the Republican Party rushed over the weekend to support an initiative to help independent presidential candidate Cornel West get on the Arizona ballot, highlighting the GOP’s involvement in assisting the left-leaning professor’s unlikely campaign. As the deadline for submitting necessary paperwork approached, it was discovered that two potential electors, Jerry Judie and Denisha Mitchell, were no longer interested in serving. This led to a flurry of communication attempts to salvage the endeavor, including visits to Judie’s and Mitchell’s residences by two Republican lawyers in an apparent effort to persuade them to reconsider.
This endeavor is part of a broader scheme by conservative activists and Republican-affiliated operatives nationwide to promote West’s candidacy and potentially impact the integrity of the ballot in the months preceding the presidential election in November. Republicans are hoping that West could disrupt the 2024 election by drawing votes that would typically go to the Democratic nominee.
Judie, a retired park ranger from Phoenix, expressed his initial enthusiasm for West’s campaign, drawn to his ideas and principles. However, Judie’s interest waned when Vice President Kamala Harris emerged as the likely Democratic nominee, replacing President Joe Biden. This shift in the campaign landscape prompted Judie to step back from his role as an elector for West.
In Arizona, independent presidential candidates are required by law to present a slate of electors who pledge to cast Electoral College votes on their behalf. Following Judie’s decision to withdraw as an elector for West, he received numerous phone calls and a visit from two Republican lawyers seeking to advance West’s candidacy.
The attorneys, Amanda Reeve and Brett Johnson from the law firm Snell & Wilmer, engaged with Judie and Mitchell in efforts to secure their participation as electors. Republicans and their allies have been active in various states to facilitate West’s inclusion on the ballot, potentially influencing the outcome of the election by diverting votes from Democratic candidates.
Mitchell, who previously indicated that she had not agreed to be a West elector and suspected her signature had been forged on the filing documents, was also contacted by Reeve to expedite the submission of required information.
The tactics employed to enlist West as a candidate have raised questions regarding the authenticity of the process, with doubts surrounding the legitimacy of signatures and filings in multiple states. Mark Jacoby, associated with a signature-gathering contractor involved in Arizona, has a history of controversial tactics in political campaigns, including a conviction for voter registration fraud in 2009.
Reflecting on the events of the past few days, Judie expressed discomfort with the motivations behind the efforts to secure West’s placement on the ballot, emphasizing the underlying intention to influence voter choices. Neither the West campaign nor representatives from the Arizona Attorney General’s office or the secretary of state’s office provided comments. It remains uncertain whether West met the qualifications for the Arizona ballot.
