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Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), has committed to giving away $1 million daily to voters who sign his political action committee's (PAC) petition supporting constitutional rights. Musk has already pledged at least $70 million to support former President Donald Trump's 2024 candidacy and is now focused on registering voters in key battleground states like Pennsylvania. The PAC, which is backing the First and Second Amendments, is linked to Trump, whom Musk has openly endorsed.
Musk's giveaways, however, have sparked controversy and concern among election law experts. The primary issue is that in order to qualify for the $1 million check, individuals must not only sign the petition but also be registered to vote. Legal experts argue this could violate federal laws, which prohibit paying people to register or vote. While some experts say paying for petition signatures alone might be legal, linking it to voter registration crosses a legal line, making the giveaway potentially illegal.
Every day, from now through Nov 5, @America PAC will be giving away $1M to someone in swing states who signed our petition to support free speech & the right to bear arms!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2024
We want to make sure that everyone in swing states hears about this and I suspect this will ensure they do.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro voiced concerns over the dark money flowing into his state and its impact on voters. Some legal scholars, like UCLA’s Rick Hasen and Northwestern University’s Michael Kang, argue that Musk’s offer could be seen as incentivizing voter registration close to Election Day, blurring the lines of legality.
Musk’s PAC has been traveling through Pennsylvania, distributing checks to individuals, including one recipient, John Dreher, during a Saturday event in Harrisburg. Trump, when asked about the giveaway, downplayed any involvement, but praised Musk as a friend and ally to his campaign.
Election law experts are now scrutinizing the situation, with the Justice Department yet to comment on the legality of Musk’s actions.
[With information from AP News]
