Progressive scholar and presidential candidate Dr. Cornel West announced Thursday that he will no longer seek a nomination with the Green Party and will instead run as an independent candidate. “The best way to challenge the entrenched system is by focusing 100 percent on the people, not on the intricacies of internal party dynamics,” his campaign told The New York Times. The move is expected to pose difficulties for West, who now must work to add his name to ballots across the country having ditched the Green Party ticket. West came under scrutiny in August after The Daily Beast discovered that he owes more than $500,000 in unpaid taxes.