Minor parties

In my mind, the minor parties (Independence Party, Conservative Party, etc.) are nothing more than patronage mills. We have no use for them, since they seldom run their own candidates; they merely endorse major party candidates in exchange for ... well, you tell me. WNYMedia.net reveals that the Independence Party is 2 months late filing its financial disclosure. They have 10 days to comply. If they endorse dems and repubs, how independent can they possibly be?