The U.S. Justice Department has issued a warning to Elon Musk’s America PAC, indicating that the $1 million sweepstakes aimed at registered voters in swing states might contravene federal law. Sources familiar with the situation shared this information, highlighting potential legal issues surrounding the initiative.
Elon Musk, a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump, has committed substantial resources to bolster Trump’s candidacy. The recent sweepstakes is part of Musk’s effort to enhance voter registration in key battleground states, a move that has sparked controversy and raised eyebrows among political and legal experts.
Even some optimistic Tesla investors are beginning to express concerns over Musk’s provocative online statements and his shift toward what some describe as a “dark MAGA” stance. This change in rhetoric could lead to uncomfortable moments during Tesla’s upcoming earnings call.
Legal Concerns Over The Sweepstakes
Musk’s proposal to reward registered voters with cash prizes immediately attracted scrutiny from election law experts and state officials. Concerns centered on the legality of incentivizing voter registration, as federal law explicitly prohibits compensating individuals for registering to vote.
The current sweepstakes details promise a $1 million prize to randomly selected individuals who sign a petition advocating for First and Second Amendment freedoms. However, eligibility to sign the petition is limited to registered voters in specific states, which raises questions about the legality of the initiative.
The Justice Department’s public integrity section, which investigates potential violations related to election laws, sent a formal letter to Musk’s political action committee, prompting serious discussions about the implications of the sweepstakes.
Musk’s Statements And Reactions
During a recent Trump campaign event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Musk stated his goal was to gather signatures from over a million, potentially two million, voters in critical states to support the First and Second Amendment. He announced, “We are going to be awarding $1 million randomly to people who have signed the petition, every day, from now until the election.”
However, the initiative has drawn criticism, particularly from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat and former state attorney general, who labeled the giveaway as “deeply concerning” and worthy of legal examination. In response to these criticisms, Musk expressed his discomfort on his platform, X, stating, “It is concerning that he would say such a thing.”
Furthermore, Musk addressed allegations suggesting that he was “paying to register Republicans.” He clarified that the winners could belong to any political party and that registration was not a prerequisite for voting. Yet, he did not comment on the legality of restricting the lottery to registered voters.
Changing Messaging Amid Scrutiny
As the sweepstakes unfolded, the messaging from Musk’s super PAC began to shift. On the second day of the campaign, the PAC described the $1 million prize as a payment for a job, claiming that winners would be “selected to earn $1M as a spokesperson for America PAC.” This shift was accompanied by promotional videos featuring the winners advocating for Trump.
Despite these changes, election law experts pointed out that the fine print on the super PAC’s website remained unchanged. The terms still specified that only petition signers could win the $1 million prize, and those signers must be registered voters from states such as Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin.
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