“You don’t even have to vote, you just have to sign a petition,” Musk said in another video posted on the same account.
Is Musk’s $1m plan legal?
Making a payment to someone “for registering to vote or for voting” is a federal crime, according to a document published by the US Department of Justice in December 2017. It adds that this payment does not have to be money but can also be other valuables like liquor or lottery tickets.
Brendan Fischer, a campaign finance lawyer, told The Associated Press that Musk’s giveaway approaches a legal boundary. That’s because the PAC is requiring registration as a prerequisite to become eligible for the $1m prize.
“There would be few doubts about the legality if every Pennsylvania-based petition signer were eligible, but conditioning the payments on registration arguably violates the law,” Fischer told the news agency.
“It’s not quite the same as paying someone to vote, but you’re getting close enough that we worry about its legality,” Michael Kang, an election law professor at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, told AP.
“Though maybe some of the other things Musk was doing were of murky legality, this one is clearly illegal,” Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California in Los Angeles, wrote in a blog post on Saturday.
In an interview with the NBC television network’s Meet the Press programme on Sunday, Shapiro said Musk’s plan was “deeply concerning” and something that law enforcement should look into.
“Musk obviously has a right to be able to express his views. He’s made it very, very clear that he supports Donald Trump. I don’t. Obviously, we have a difference of opinion,” Shapiro said on Meet the Press.
“I don’t deny him that, right, but when you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions,” he added.
Has Musk paid out any money yet?
Since the tech billionaire’s announcement, Musk’s plan has already seen two recipients.
On Saturday, Musk announced the first winner moments after he announced the plan at the rally.
The winner, a red MAGA hat-clad man named John Dreher scampered through a roaring crowd towards the stage, his fists pumping the air.
“By the way, John had no idea,” Musk announced, handing an elated Dreher a cheque as a US flag appeared on a screen behind them.
On Sunday, Musk announced the second $1m winner, a woman named Kristine Fishell. Fishell donned a red shirt with a slogan for Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, and cupped her hands around her face in disbelief.
Two $1 MILLION checks have gone out to voters for signing our petition to support the Constitution.
A registered swing state voter who signs the petition will be selected to earn $1M as a spokesperson for America PAC every day until Election Day.
SIGN: https://t.co/TMeyWUhbrH pic.twitter.com/q1hlauy245
— America (@america) October 21, 2024
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Publish date : 2024-10-22 15:31:00
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