Billionaire Elon Musk causes controversy for promising to give $1 million/day to US voters

(Dan Tri) - Billionaire Elon Musk faces the risk of being investigated after he pledged to give $1 million a day to one lucky voter in an effort to support Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Mr. Elon Musk (Photo: Reuters).

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democratic politician , on October 20 called on law enforcement to investigate billionaire Elon Musk for promising to give away $1 million a day until Election Day on November 5, a move aimed at attracting support for Mr. Trump. Mr. Musk on October 19 gave a check for $1 million to a participant in an event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, organized by America PAC, a political action group Mr. Musk created to attract voters to vote for Mr. Trump. Mr. Shapiro said Mr. Musk's plan to give money to registered voters in Pennsylvania was "extremely disturbing" and "it's something that law enforcement can look into." "Obviously, Mr. Musk has a right to express his views. He's made it very, very clear that he supports Donald Trump. I don't. We have different views, obviously. I'm not denying that, right, but when you start pouring this amount of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions," he added. The pledge is the latest example of Mr. Musk using his vast wealth to influence the race for the White House between Mr. Trump and Democratic rival Kamala Harris. Pennsylvania is a must-win battleground state for both candidates if they want to win the election. On October 20, Mr. Musk gave another $1 million to a woman who attended an event in Pittsburgh, according to America PAC. Musk promised to randomly give $1 million a day to anyone who signs his online petition, which reads: "The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing below, I pledge my support for the First and Second Amendments." To be eligible for the $1 million, petition signers must be registered voters and live in one of seven swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, according to the America PAC website. The petition also offers $100 for each Pennsylvania registered voter who signs and $100 for referring another Pennsylvania registered voter to support the petition. According to Reuters , the legality of the giveaway will likely be reviewed in the coming days. Paying people to vote or register to vote is a federal crime, punishable by prison time. The ban covers not only cash spending but also anything of value, such as alcohol or lottery tickets, a Justice Department guidance said. Mr. Musk, one of the world's richest people, has spent $75 million on America PAC in the past three months, becoming one of Mr. Trump's biggest donors. Mr. Musk, who has previously supported Democrats, has become a Trump supporter in recent months. He has attended Trump campaign events. Meanwhile, Mr. Trump has said that if he is elected, he will make Mr. Musk "secretary of cost reduction" in the new administration. Some experts have expressed skepticism about the legality of Mr. Musk's move. "While it is possible that some of the other things Mr. Musk has done are legally dubious, this is clearly illegal," said Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Brendan Fischer, a financial lawyer, said Musk was walking a fine line between illegal and legal. “There’s not much question about the legality of people signing a petition, but making it a condition of paying for a subscription could be illegal,” Fischer said.

According to Reuters

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ty-phu-elon-musk-gay-tranh-cai-vi-hua-tang-1-trieu-usdngay-cho-cu-tri-my-20241021113005132.htm