Elon Musk's million-dollar voter giveaways baffle experts
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Tesla founder Elon Musk awards Kristine Fishell with a $1 million check during the town hall on Sunday in Pittsburgh. Photo: Michael Swensen/Getty
Legal experts are sounding off on tech billionaire Elon Musk's million-dollar giveaways to voters in Pennsylvania.
Why it matters: Musk, the world's richest man, has pledged to give $1 million each day to registered voters in battleground states who sign a petition launched by his pro-Trump political action committee supporting free speech and the right to own firearms.
- But some experts say the effort could run afoul of federal law that prohibits paying people to persuade them to register to vote.
Catch up quick: Musk handed out two $1 million checks over the weekend at campaign events in Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, per CNN.
- Musk has said he hopes the sweepstakes boosts registration among Trump voters.
Context: Federal law makes it illegal for anyone who "pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or for voting."
- Those who violate the law can be fined $10,000 and imprisoned for five years.
The big picture: In recent weeks, Musk has become heavily involved in trying to get former President Trump back in the White House.
- The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has poured funding into get-out-the-vote operations for Trump, and he's stumped for the former president at events across Pennsylvania — including in the Philadelphia suburbs last week.
- He's also touted the former president on his social media platform X, which he's used to promote far-right conspiracy theories and bash Vice President Kamala Harris.
By the numbers: Musk's America PAC has spent about $80 million to help Trump, per federal records, the New York Times reports.
- His initial budget was $140–$180 million.
What they're saying: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, the state's former attorney general, told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that the giveaways are "deeply concerning" and "something law enforcement could take a look at."
- The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office didn't respond to Axios' request for comment.
The scheme "at best has very questionable legality," UPenn law professor Michael Morse tells Axios.
- But since Monday was the last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania, it could be "small potatoes" for election enforcement officials, Morse says.
- "There are bigger issues than this particular stunt," he says.
The other side: Brad Smith, a former chair of the Federal Election Commission, told the New York Times that Musk "comes out OK here" since he's paying people to sign a petition rather than to explicitly register to vote.
- After the outcry, Musk's group reframed the giveaways on Sunday, saying winners "will be selected to earn $1 million as a spokesperson for America PAC," per CNN.