Billionaire Elon Musk sparks controversy by promising to give $1 million a day to US voters
Báo Dân trí•28/10/2024
(Dan Tri) - Billionaire Elon Musk faces the risk of being investigated after he pledged to donate $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 Democrat, 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 drumming up support for Mr. Trump. Mr. Musk on October 19 gave a $1 million check 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 "something that law enforcement can look into." "Obviously, Mr. Musk has a right to his views. He's been very, very clear that he supports Donald Trump. I don't. We have very 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 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. The legality of the giveaway is likely to be reviewed in the coming days, according to Reuters . Paying people for the purpose of encouraging or rewarding them to vote or register to vote is a federal crime, punishable by prison time. The ban covers not just cash spending but also anything of value, such as alcohol or lottery tickets, a Justice Department guidance said. Musk, one of the world's richest people, has given $75 million to America PAC in the past three months, becoming one of Trump's biggest donors. Musk, who has previously been a Democratic supporter, has been a Trump supporter in recent months. He has attended Trump campaign events. Trump has said that if he wins, he would make Musk his "secretary of cost reduction" in the new administration. Some experts have expressed skepticism about the legality of Musk's move. "While it's possible that some of what Musk did was legally dubious, this was 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 what was illegal and what was legal. “There’s not much question about the legality of signing a petition, but making it a condition of paying for a subscription could be illegal,” Fischer said.
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