The treasurer of Kanye West’s ill-fated 2020 presidential bid has resigned — claiming in a leaked letter that the rapper’s new adviser may have violated federal campaign law following his hiring last week.
Patrick Krason made the claims in two letters of resignation — one filed with the Federal Election Commission Monday and the other to his old boss.
Both leaked, the letters coming a week after West made it clear his Oval Office hopes were alive, signing famed mercurial Milo Yiannopoulos as a quarterback.
Almost immediately, YE2024’s new director of political operations instituted a series of sweeping personnel changes — including the immediate firing of the rapper’s racist right-hand man, Nick Fuentes, as well as political consultant Ali Alexander.
Both emerged as prominent figures for Kanye’s 2020 bid — despite their far-right and fringe views that often proved polarizing, ultimately failing to land the 44-year-old rapper a historic victory over competitors Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Also on the chopping block was Krason, who wrote on Monday that he had been told he would be fired but resigned early. More interesting, however, were some of the consultant’s sensational claims in the few letters, both of which appeared to accuse Yiannopoulos of financial fraud.
Patrick Krason – seen here in 2018 – made the claims in two resignation letters, one filed with the Federal Election Commission Monday and the other sent to his old boss
Both leaked, the letters coming a week after West made it clear his Oval Office hopes were alive by signing famed mercurial Milo Yiannopoulos (right) as quarterback
“My name is Patrick Karson and I have resigned as treasurer of the Kanye 2020 campaign committee effective Monday at 9 a.m. EDT,” he wrote in the first letter to federal regulators. The email revealed that “Kanye 2020” is currently still used as the name of his political action committee.
“I have notified the campaign of my resignation and they have been advised of the requirement to appoint a new treasurer within 10 days.
“I also pointed out to them that they cannot collect or spend campaign funds until a new treasurer has been appointed. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or concerns.’
In a separate letter addressed to West and obtained by Politico, Krason, a relatively unknown GOP financial strategist, made more sensationalist claims, while revealing that he had already been told he would be fired by Yiannopoulos.
He said he had learned of a “potentially serious criminal transaction” related to the Kanye 2020 campaign, saying that Yiannopoulos had “submitted false invoices and incurred expenses that would be considered illegal.”
Those transactions would have been made in November 2022, before Krason assumed the role of treasurer.
He further claimed that there was too much “personal animosity” for a professional relationship with Yiannopoulos – whose emails to both Fuentes, a known white supremacist, and Alexander were similarly leaked by TMZ.
In a brief correspondence to Fuentes — who accompanied West on a trip to see Donald Trump last year — Yiannopoulos wrote, “Your services in Ye’s reconnaissance team have ended… and will not be needed for any potential future campaign.”
The controversial Mar-a-Lago trip also included Yiannopoulos — who Krason says made the illegal transactions that same month.
When asked about the allegations Krason made on Monday, Yiannopoulos denied any wrongdoing and told Politico that he “would not give credence to ridiculous, preposterous and easily rebuttable allegations.”
He further suggested that the allegations were a “toxic” attempt by the ex-treasurer to make some noise during a not-so-high-profile exit. West, meanwhile, could not be reached for comment.
The latest saga in the embattled rapper’s dubious presidential bid comes a few months after a January campaign finance report revealed questionable spending from his campaign, as well as not a single dollar in donations.
Submitting itemized expenses for the last three months of 2022, West spent more than $9,000 in “travel allowance” on the same day in November that he and noted white nationalist Fuentes dined with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Photos of the couple caused an internet stir, coupled with West’s recent anti-Semitic comments on social media.
Yiannopoulos also fired Fuentes — who accompanied West on a November trip to see Donald Trump last year — Yiannopoulos wrote, “Your services on Ye’s reconnaissance team have ended…and will not be needed for a possible future campaign”
Milo also sent an exit email to adviser Ali Alexander, who recently had to apologize after being accused of soliciting teenage boys for sexual photos.
Milo also sent an exit email to Alexander, who recently had to apologize after being accused of soliciting teenage boys for sexual photos.
Fuentes, meanwhile, told The Daily Beast that the travel expenses were “made by myself and the team when I moved to LA in November to do work for Kanye 2020,” referring to the official name of Ye’s still-unofficial 2024 bid.
Neither Alexander nor Fuentes have publicly commented on their resignation. It is not clear who will replace them.