First Chance, Now Kanye: West Dumps $74K Into Chicago Mayoral Campaign

Rapper Kanye West speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House with President Donald Trump, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Rapper Kanye West speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House with President Donald Trump, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Rapper Kanye West speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House with President Donald Trump, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Rapper Kanye West speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House with President Donald Trump, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

First Chance, Now Kanye: West Dumps $74K Into Chicago Mayoral Campaign

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An unlikely hero seems to be coming to the rescue to help ensure progressive Chicago mayoral candidate Amara Enyia can get on the February ballot: Kanye West. 

According to a filing with the Illinois State Board of Elections, the rap superstar and vocal supporter of President Donald Trump donated $73,540 to Enyia’s mayoral campaign on Monday. That’s nearly enough to cover the more than $74,000 in fines she owes to state election authorities.

Enyia’s long-shot mayoral campaign got a big boost when she won the surprise endorsement last week of Chance the Rapper, whose real name is Chancellor Bennett. Under state law, Enyia would need to resolve the election fine before her name can appear on the ballot. 

As of Monday afternoon, Enyia’s fines had been paid, according to an elections board spokesman. 

At the press conference with Chance last Tuesday, Enyia indicated she had “resolved” the fines, as first reported by WBEZ, which were levied because she failed to file mandatory fundraising reports with the state election authority after her unsuccessful 2015 mayoral campaign. 

“That was something from years ago. So we’ve moved on and we’re focused on the future,” Enyia told reporters Tuesday. 

But emails and state records show the fines had not been resolved at that point. 

In accepting the contribution from West, Enyia’s progressive-themed campaign is now closely linked to one of the most prominent African-American backers of Trump. Trump’s attorney general, Jeff Sessions, was in Chicago last week slamming the city’s efforts at police reform.