Billionaire Elon Musk may have broken the law by donating $1 million to voters

TPO - While campaigning for former US President Donald Trump last weekend, billionaire Elon Musk announced that he would distribute $1 million a day to registered voters in battleground states. US legal experts said that this action could violate election law.

Billionaire Elon Musk campaigned in Folsom, Pennsylvania, on October 17. (Photo: Reuters)

“We want to see over a million, maybe 2 million voters in battleground states sign a petition to support the First and Second Amendments… We will randomly give $1 million to petition signers every day from now until the election,” billionaire Musk emphasized at a campaign event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on October 19.

The social media mogul and Tesla CEO spoke about a petition his political action committee has drafted to promote free speech and the right to bear arms. The petition's website says it's open only to registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina. The world's richest man has given more than $75 million to the pro-Trump political action committee and says his cash donation will help increase voter registration. "This is a one-time offer. Just go out and talk to your family, friends, acquaintances, people you meet on the street... convince them to vote. Obviously you have to register them, make sure they register, make sure they vote," Musk said. The first person to receive $1 million was Musk, who handed a large check to a Trump supporter at an event in Harrisburg. In an interview with NBC ’s Meet the Press on October 20, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said Musk’s donation was “deeply troubling” and something “law enforcement could look into.” Mr. Shapiro, a Democrat, was previously the state’s attorney general.

Federal law prohibits paying, offering to pay, or accepting money to register or vote. Violators can face up to five years in prison.

“When you start limiting the rewards or giving them only to people who are registered or only to people who have voted, that’s when the bribery concerns arise,” said Derek Muller, an election law expert who teaches at Notre Dame Law School. The giveaway is the latest example of Musk using his vast wealth to influence the extremely tight race between Mr. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Pennsylvania is a must-win state for both Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris.

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