Elon Musk’s $1 Million Giveaway May Be Illegal
Elon Musk has offered to give away $1 million per day to registered voters who sign a petition that supports the First and Second Amendments – the Justice Department warns that this may breach election law.
Elon Musk supports Donald Trump for President and has set up sweepstakes to help in swing states. Registered voters who sign the petition in Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin will be randomly selected daily to win $1 million. Elon Musk’s political action committee (PAC), America PAC, is organizing the prizes.
The Justice Department has warned that the action may breach election law, which states that paying people to register to vote is illegal. Initially, Musk proposed to have the giveaway for any registered voter, which would have violated the law directly.
As such, Musk adapted the giveaway and has even spun it further, saying that the winners are “selected to earn $1M as a spokesperson for America PAC.” However, the terms of the giveaway don’t reflect this.
The first few winners supported this position by participating in pro-Trump testimonials, which America PAC published on its website.
Musk further said via social media that winners “can be from any or no political party, and you don’t even have to vote.”
The Justice Department reportedly sent America PAC a warning about potential illegal behavior but has not commented to the press on its internal investigations.
Legal experts are divided on whether the current conditions of the giveaway breach election law, with some saying that by having it only open to registered voters, it is essentially paying people to register, while others saying that having an incentive to register does not automatically mean a person is paid to do so.
Musk, who has become a strong and vocal supporter of Republican policies, has given at least $75 million to America PAC, making it a cornerstone of Trump’s election bid. Trump has also said that should he become president, he would appoint Musk to head a commission on government efficiency.
