The Justice Department officials put tech mogul Elon Musk on notice and warned him that his America PAC may be flouting federal law with its $1 million giveaways to registered voters, according to a report.
The public integrity section of the Department of Justice, which oversees electoral law, sent a letter to Musk over recent days informing him that high-dollar incentive to entice swing state voters into signing his petition, might be illegal, CNN reported, citing sources familiar.
Since last Saturday Musk has been doling out prizes to residents in battleground states who sign his petition backing freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. To sign that petition, individuals must be registered to vote.
But federal law prohibits individuals from paying money to get people to register to vote.
Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $242 billion. As of this reporting, he has already spent at least $75 million to help reelect Trump. Earlier this month, Musk offered supporters $47 for each registered voter they recruited in seven battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — to sign his petition.
Trump, who was campaigning in Pennsylvania on Sunday, was asked about Musk’s $1 million giveaway and said, “I haven’t followed that,” the Associated Press reported.
While Musk and his PAC have not publicly commented on the debate, Musk’s allies have argued that since Musk is not paying for voter registration, but for a petition signature, then it’s not illegal, according to the New York Times. But some legal experts suggest that Musk’s latest stunt is pushing the boundaries of election law.
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