Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX who is fully committed to running for Republican Donald Trump’s White House, has signed a political action committee petition supporting the Constitution. He has promised to donate $1 million a day to voters. The proposal has raised questions among election experts about the legality of the plan.
Some experts say it is against the law to link cash payments to signing petitions that also require voter registration. The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.
A person familiar with Musk’s US PAC said, “The PAC is confident in the legality of this effort, and the predictable media chaos will only aid US PAC’s efforts to support President Trump.” .
Musk, the world’s richest man with a $242 billion fortune, has already pledged at least $70 million to the former president’s re-election, ramping up efforts to sway voters in battleground states to back Trump. . Company X’s owners previously offered supporters $47 per registered voter in seven swing states to petition in recognition of the fact that the winner of the Nov. 5 election will become the country’s 47th president. He suggested that I get him to sign it.
“What we’re seeing is … clearly a violation of federal law. I don’t think it’s really a close call,” Adab Noti, executive director of the Election Legal Center, told CBS News. .
“While some of the other things Mr. Musk was doing may have ambiguous legality, this is clearly illegal,” said Rick Hasen, a political science professor at UCLA School of Law. He blogs about donating $1 million a day.
He pointed to laws that prohibit paying people to register or vote.
“The problem is, only people who are registered to vote are eligible to participate in this giveaway, so it’s illegal,” Hasen said in a phone interview.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who is the state’s former attorney general, expressed concern Sunday about Musk’s $1 million donation plan.
“There are big questions about how he’s spending money in this election, how he’s getting dark money, not just in Pennsylvania, but apparently into the pockets of Pennsylvanians,” he said on NBC’s show. I think that’s very concerning.” Press. ”
Elon Musk’s PAC petition
Musk on Saturday gave people who signed a PAC petition supporting the First Amendment, which protects free speech, and the Second Amendment, which guarantees that right, one day until the Nov. 5 election. He has pledged to donate $1 million per year. Please cross your arms. ”
He handed the check to a man named John Dreher during an event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. A message containing a number for Dreher was not returned Sunday. Mr. Musk handed out another check on Sunday.
Musk’s US PAC has begun a tour of Pennsylvania, a key election battleground. The aim is to register voters who support Trump, who Musk supports. The PAC is also making efforts to persuade voters in other key states.
Trump, campaigning in Pennsylvania on Sunday, was asked about Musk’s donations and said, “I don’t follow it.” President Trump said, “I talk to Elon a lot. He’s a friend of mine,” and praised Elon as being great for the country.
Legal issues surrounding Musk’s $1 million donation
Among election law experts who are raising red flags about the donations is campaign finance attorney Brendan Fisher, who says Musk’s recent donation activity approaches legal boundaries. did.
That’s because the PAC requires registration as a prerequisite to being eligible for the $1 million check. “If all Pennsylvania-based petition signers were eligible, there would be little question of legality, but requiring payment at the time of registration is definitely against the law,” Fisher said in an email. said.
Michael Kang, an election law professor at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, argued that given the context of the giveaway so close to Election Day, the effort is nothing more than an incentive for people to register to vote. He said it was difficult to do so.
“It’s not exactly the same as paying to vote, but it’s close enough that we have concerns about legality,” Kang said.
Coordination between campaigns and so-called super PACs was generally prohibited. But a recent opinion from the Federal Election Commission, which regulates federal election campaigns, allows candidates and these groups to cooperate in certain cases, such as suspending voting activities.
