Kanye's Presidential Campaign Financial Disclosures Rejected By OGE: Report

According to Business Insider, the United States Office of Government Ethics has declined to certify a public financial disclosure document from Kanye West's failed 2020 presidential campaign.

While no specific reason was given for the declined certification, "the highly unusual step from the agency is likely due to [Ye] not fully disclosing his wife Kim Kardashian West's income and assets," Insider reported.

On Monday (April 19), Jordan Libowitz, communications director at CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington), shared general information about Ye's declined financial disclosure document, explaining that there isn't a law requiring presidential candidates to release their tax returns so "the federal disclosure is the only mandated look at a presidential candidate or president's finances."

He added, "It's really important from a transparency standpoint to know where money is coming into officials or to candidates, as well as to know that it is correct and full."

Jordan additionally noted that on the legal form, Ye claimed he was exempt from reporting Kim's income, "citing a law stating that federal candidates can go without disclosing their spouse's income sources if they have no knowledge of the income stream, it is not connected to their own economic activities, and they do not expect to derive a financial benefit from it," Insider reported. However, due to the fact that his estranged wife's income is pubic knowledge — Kim was recently crowned a billionaire by Forbes — Jordan noted that Ye's opting out of disclosing Kim's assets and income figures was seemingly an issue.

"It's not just that he did not report it, but that he used an exemption, and a fairly rare one, to reporting. It said among things, that he had no knowledge of what her assets were or where her income came from. And that seems a little tough to believe," he told Insider. "It'd be different if he left it blank, but claiming an exemption that he didn't qualify for is questionable."

So, what does all of this mean? Well, according to Jordan and the Insider the discrepancies "may not lead to penalties" or prosecution for Kanye, but "it's a "fairly significant issue, especially when there are already questions surrounding money involved with his campaign."

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