DOJ Warns Elon Musk’s America PAC That Its Million-Dollar Voter Sweepstakes Might Be Illegal
It pledged to give away a daily $1 million prize to any swing state voter who signs a petition affirming their support for the First and Second Amendments.
The Justice Department is warning Elon Musk’s American PAC that his $1 million giveaway scheme may be in violation of federal law, CNN reports.
The PAC pledged to give away a daily $1 million prize to any swing state voter who signs a petition affirming their support for the First and Second Amendments — starting this past Saturday and ending on November 5.
“Our goal is to get 1 million registered voters in swing states to sign in support of the Constitution, especially freedom of speech and the right to bear arms,” the organization notes on its website.
In order to qualify for the sweepstakes, the individual has to be a registered voter in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina. The PAC is also offering $47 for each registered voter that a user refers to sign the petition.
However, the sweepstakes may be cut short now that the Justice Department’s public integrity vertical — which covers election-related legal issues — reportedly sent a letter to Mr. Musk’s political action committee, CNN reports, citing unnamed sources.
Mr. Musk’s generous giveaway raised questions over whether it operates in violation of federal law which bans offering financial incentives to vote or register to vote, with some pointing to the fact that the sweepstakes is only available to registered voters as evidence of its illegality.
On the second day of the giveaway, the super PAC quietly altered its description of the contest, framing the reward as payment for being an America PAC representative. The terms of entry, however, did not change.
By Monday, several former Republican lawmakers and Justice Department officials had issued a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to investigate Mr. Musk’s giveaway.
Governor Shapiro called the giveaway “deeply concerning” and “something that law enforcement could take a look at.” To which Mr. Musk responded on X: “Concerning that he would say such a thing.”
Mr. Musk has yet to comment on reports of the Department of Justice’s letter.
