Wyclef Jean Running For President of Haiti?

Wyclef Jean, of The Fugees fame, is the subject of rumors suggesting he may run for president of Haiti. The Haitian-American musician has long been involved with issues that involve his native nation, but now, reports are suggesting that he may be considering a run for the presidency.

Nationalpost.com cites a report in an Ottowa-Gatineau newspaper where an anonymous source close to the Haitian government claims Jean is just waiting for the necessary paperwork to go through. Gawker.com notes that Wyclef and his spokesperson both deflected the rumors, stating in response to the rumors that “we don’t have anything definitive on our end, so if anything were to change, I’m sure a press release would be issued.”

Sounds like a press release will be issued.

Despite Wyclef’s dogged work on behalf of the country wracked by destruction caused by the January earthquake, the charitable organization he runs, Yele Haiti, has been the source of some controversy, particularly over the possibility of misappropriated funds. The organization apparently paid $100,000 to Wyclef’s alleged mistress, and questions revolve around the general operations of the charity.

Despite this, Wyclef has defended his organization vehemently, and there are few public figures who advocate more vocally to help address the myriad of issues facing Haiti. It will be interesting to see if this activism indeed leads Jean to seek political office, and if so, how the allegations against his organization will factor in.

UPDATE: Wyclef Jean spoke to CNN, telling the network that he is indeed considering a run, and has filled out the necessary paperwork, but has not made a final decision.

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