This may not be the most flattering news to come out of the 2024 presidential election cycle, but it's also not clear that anything illegal or even particularly unusual was going on in terms of American politics. Independent presidential candidate Cornel West has been knocked off of the ballot in several states already thanks to the machinations of the mainstream Democratic Party, but he has been gamely hanging in there and continuing to campaign. But now he's been revealing an inside look at some of the backroom deals that have been taking place or at least attempted. As our colleague Sarah Arnold reports at Townhall, West went on a political podcast recently and claimed that the campaign of Kamala Harris had offered him a "cushy" position in a future Harris administration and promised to pay off his campaign debts if he agreed to drop out and endorse her. If so, is that legal? Or is it just presidential politics as usual?

Independent far-left presidential candidate Cornel West revealed a shocking admission about how far the Democratic Party will go to win the 2024 election. 

During an interview on the Status Coup News podcast, West claimed that the Harris campaign offered him a deal that resulted in him dropping out of the race. He suggested they bribed him by offering him a cushy job in Harris’ administration should she be elected and a promise to pay off his campaign debts.

West has been met with opposition to his candidacy by the Democratic Party as polls show that in swing states where his name appears on the ballot, he takes votes away from Harris, making it an advantage for former President Donald Trump. 

To his credit, podcast host Jordan Chariton didn't let that claim simply fly over the fence unchallenged. He pressed West further, asking specifically what type of position in Harris' administration was being offered. That's where Cornel West seemed to think better of his comment. He began to answer by saying that they had engaged in a "serious, substantive conversation about all of those that could lead toward some real…” He then trailed off and appeared to change the subject.

There's no doubt that Harris' team would love to see Cornel West off the ballot entirely and throwing his support to them, particularly in the swing states. West doesn't pull all that many voters, but the ones he does attract come almost entirely from the Democrats and Harris' base of support. But it's difficult for me to see how or why Harris would offer him a full cabinet-level position. He might perhaps be considered for a deputy position of some sort or even a role on Harris' staff, but there simply aren't enough of those "secretary" positions to go around considering how many people would be vying for them.

With all of that said, some critics are describing this arrangement as "beyond election interference." But we know from more insider, "tell-all" books than I would have time to list here that these sorts of conversations take place all the time in Washington, particularly during a presidential election cycle. Yet they are completely unofficial in nature and take place as more of a "meeting of the minds" negotiation. When Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the 2020 presidential primary and endorsed Joe Biden, you can rest assured that he had been assured of a Cabinet position, though it remains something of a mystery how he wound up at the Transportation Department. The same can be said for many others.

The two cases are not identical, however. Pothole Pete brought a lot more to the table than Cornel West does. He attracted a significantly larger percentage of the vote and as a bonus, he was an ultimate DEI selection for an administration that had already promised to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion far above and beyond any baseline qualifications. Cornel West checks a couple of DEI boxes, but he wouldn't be "historic" in that sense no matter which Cabinet seat he was given. So was the story that West began to tell on that podcast genuine? I have little doubt that the conversation took place or at least was brought up. But was it some sort of violation of election laws or election interference? Not really. At least nothing beyond the normal comings and goings inside of the Swamp.