Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla and Space X, has committed at least $70 million to support former President Donald Trump’s candidacy for the White House. Now, he is pledging to give away $1 million a day to voters for signing his political action committee’s petition backing the Constitution. This has raised concerns among election experts who question the legality of linking a cash handout to signing a petition that requires voter registration. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania has expressed concerns about Musk’s spending in the race and the flow of dark money into the state.
Musk’s America PAC has launched a tour of Pennsylvania in an effort to register voters in support of Trump, whom Musk has endorsed. The PAC is also working to persuade voters in other key states, offering cash incentives for signing petitions and referring others to register. Despite concerns raised by election law experts about the legality of the giveaway, Trump, who considers Musk a friend, has not commented on the matter. Some experts argue that conditioning the $1 million checks on voter registration may violate a law that prohibits paying people for registering to vote.
Michael Kang, an election law professor, notes that the proximity of Musk’s giveaway to Election Day raises suspicions about whether it is simply incentivizing people to register to vote. Although the PAC has not responded to requests for comment, it remains unclear whether the Justice Department will investigate the legality of the cash giveaway. Recent changes in regulations by the Federal Election Commissioner now allow coordination between campaigns and super PACs in certain cases, including getting out the vote efforts.
The timing of Musk’s cash giveaway, aimed at pushing voters to register and sign petitions in support of Trump, has sparked controversy among election experts. While there is nothing illegal about paying individuals to sign petitions, conditioning the payment on voter registration may cross legal boundaries. The potential violation of laws prohibiting the payment of individuals for registering to vote poses a significant challenge to the legality of Musk’s actions. The proximity of the giveaway to Election Day further complicates the case against incentivizing voter registration.
Despite concerns about the legality of Musk’s cash giveaway, the PAC’s efforts to register voters and support Trump’s campaign continue. The evolving relationship between campaigns and super PACs, as permitted by the Federal Election Commissioner, raises questions about the coordination between Musk’s PAC and Trump’s campaign. As the controversy surrounding the cash giveaway intensifies, the Justice Department’s response and potential investigation will shed light on the legality of Musk’s actions and the implications for voter registration efforts in the upcoming election.
