Justice Department Says It Has Received Complaints About Elon Musk’s $1 Million Payments to Voters

Despite the information that, successful the U.S., it is amerciable to pay idiosyncratic to vote, not vote, oregon registry to vote, Elon Musk has been making it rain connected the American electorate. It each started astir 2 weeks agone erstwhile the billionaire began offering registered voters successful plaything states payments of $47. What for? To enlistee different voters to motion a vague petition “to enactment the Constitution.” Nothing incorrect with that, right? Well, but for the information that we’re successful the mediate of a fraught statesmanlike predetermination and Musk has been doing everything successful his power to get 1 campaigner (Donald Trump) elected. Getting elected requires voters and, to vote, you request to beryllium registered to vote. Given this context, immoderate mightiness reason (and person argued) that Musk is financially incentivizing elector registration successful plaything states.

Not agelong aft his archetypal $47 offering, Musk upped the payment to $100. Then, respective days ago, Musk escalated things drastically. He announced that, each azygous time until the election, helium volition springiness distant a cardinal dollars to a registered elector who signs his petition. As of this writing, Musk has already doled retired 2 $1 cardinal payments to idiosyncratic voters.

Critics person maintained that Musk is fundamentally trying to buy votes for Trump, oregon is moving a paid elector registration drive, some of which would beryllium against the law. One governmental subject scholar, UCLA’s Rick Hasen, claims Musk’s activities constitute “clearly amerciable vote-buying.” Now, Justice Department officials confirm they person received complaints astir Musk’s lottery-style giveaways, though it’s unclear whether they program to bash thing astir it.

On Monday, the Washington Post reported that a fig of erstwhile Republican officials sent a missive to Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking the Justice Department to look into Musk’s payments to voters. The missive was signed by a fig of erstwhile highly-placed officials, including erstwhile politician of New Jersey Christine Todd Whitman, erstwhile peculiar advisor to Vice President Olivia Troye, and erstwhile president of the Federal Election Commission Trevor Potter, among others. The missive was besides addressed to galore territory attorneys successful Pennsylvania.

“We are alert of thing similar this successful modern governmental history,” the missive states, successful notation to Musk’s payments. “We impulse you to analyse whether America PAC’s payments are prohibited payments for elector registration. We admit that they are framed arsenic payments for signing a petition, oregon for referring voters who sign. But galore of the payments are restricted to registered voters, truthful anyone who wishes to get paid indispensable archetypal register.” Were Musk recovered blameworthy of specified a crime, helium could walk up to 5 years successful prison.

Gizmodo reached retired to Musk via Tesla. We besides reached retired to the Justice Department. A root acquainted with Musk’s America PAC told CBS news: “The PAC is assured successful the legality of this inaugural and the predictable media meltdown is lone helping AmericaPAC’s efforts to enactment President Trump.” Musk has antecedently claimed that anyone (irregardless of governmental affiliation) tin triumph his regular $1 cardinal prize, truthful agelong arsenic they motion his petition.

Musk’s payments to voters evidently puts the Justice Department successful a hard position. We are a specified 2 weeks retired from the election, which means that immoderate effort to analyse oregon halt Musk could person a politicized effect. Should the authorities prosecute enactment against Musk, it could easy beryllium spun by Musk and different rightwing trolls arsenic an onslaught connected registered voters, who evidently basal to summation from the billionaire’s handouts.

Musk, who has been moving Trump’s canvassing operations successful large plaything states, has poured tens of millions of dollars into a run that is progressively inventive and bizarre. On Tuesday, a new report claimed that Musk’s governmental enactment group, America PAC, had been buying ads for Donald Trump connected Musk’s ain web platform, X (formerly Twitter). Previously, America PAC has been criticized for a fig of different issues and purported irregularities. All of that said, the assemblage is inactive retired connected whether Musk is really helping Trump win. Some high-level officials wrong the GOP person voiced concerns that Musk’s efforts aren’t really each that effective. Previous reporting has suggested that the canvassing operations being manned by Musk-funded PACs are not making a dent.