Kanye West files statement of candidacy with FEC for 2020 presidential election

WASHINGTON -- Kanye West filed a statement of candidacy for the United States presidency with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Thursday, July 16.

According to a form filed with the FEC, West declared "Kanye 2020" as his principal campaign committee for the upcoming 2020 election.

On Wednesday, West was cleared to run as an independent presidential candidate on Oklahoma’s General Election ballot, the state’s election board said.

“Independent presidential candidate Kanye West has qualified for the General Election ballot in Oklahoma. (Today is Oklahoma's deadline for Independent & Unrecognized Party presidential candidates to file statements of candidacy with their petitions or filing fee),” according to a tweet by the Oklahoma State Elections Board.

The announcement came hours after reports that West had dropped his quest for the presidency, which he first announced on July 4, according to New York Magazine’s Intelligencer.

The 43-year-old rapper's campaign had reportedly been suspended less than two weeks after he shocked the nation with a tweet that confirmed his decision to run for president of the United States in November, according to FOX News.

A "get-out-the-vote specialist" named Steve Kramer claimed West is already "out" after the Yeezy founder hired both "paid and volunteer" staff to help him secure signatures in Florida and South Carolina to get him on the ballot, Kramer told the Intelligencer.

Kramer highlighted that West’s team was “working over there, formalizing the FEC and other things that they’ve got to do when you have a lot of corporate lawyers involved,” he told the Intelligencer.

The specialist also claimed there was "overwhelming support" to get West on the ballot, according to the Intelligencer.

A separate and anonymous source stated that “they were hired for $5,000 to help West gather signatures in Florida to meet the state’s July 15 ballot deadline, claiming he needed ‘132,781 valid signatures from Florida voters in less than a week,’” according to FOX News.

Kramer told the Intelligencer that staff were "disappointed" that West has allegedly suspended his efforts. He also claimed to have "nothing good or bad to say about Kanye."

"Everyone has their personal decision about why they make decisions. Running for president has to be one of the hardest things for someone to actually contemplate at that level,” Kramer added.

West initially shared his dream to put in his bid as the third candidate to run against President Donald Trump and Joe Biden in a tweet on the Fourth of July.

"We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States ! #2020VISION," he said.

Days later, West conducted a lengthy interview with Forbes in which he declared he no longer supported Trump and said that Biden was not "special."

West's presidential dreams also sparked some debate after the rapper took to Twitter to share his pro-life stance, leading to a clash with Planned Parenthood. But West did continue to squash the doubt surrounding his decision, as he posted a video documenting him registering to vote in Wyoming to his Twitter account, which boasts nearly 30 million followers.

Reps for West did not immediately respond to FOX News' request for comment.

FOX News contributed to this report.