Cornel West receives donation from Clarence Thomas benefactor Harlan Crow, says he'll return it

Princeton philosophy professor Cornel West, who is mounting an independent presidential campaign to challenge President Joe Biden from the left in the 2024 presidential election, has something in common with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas: They have the same benefactor.

West, a self-proclaimed “non-Marxist socialist,” received a campaign donation of $3,300 from megadonor Harlan Crow, according to his latest fundraising report. That’s the maximum that an individual can directly give to a campaign. Two days after the donation was exposed by NBC News, West said he would be returning the donation to Crow.