Elon Musk’s Election Giveaway Supporting Trump Creates Legal Worries

Elon Musk’s new plan to give $1 million to registered voters in key swing states has sparked major debate and legal review. 

Concerns Raised Over Musk’s Voter Incentive Plan

The billionaire, a vocal backer of former President Donald Trump‘s 2024 campaign, revealed the contest during a pro-Trump town hall event in Pennsylvania. The program linked to a petition backing the First and Second Amendments, has led many to question its lawfulness. Experts caution it might break election laws.

Musk, who runs Tesla and owns X ( formerly Twitter), shared his strategy to pick registered voters at random from states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona to get the daily reward aiming to boost voter turnout. He stressed that this plan was meant to increase participation in favor of conservative principles and Trump’s run for president saying he wants to sign up one to two million voters in these key states.

Election law experts are worried about the legal issues with these giveaways. Federal law says you cannot pay people to register to vote or to vote. If you do, you could go to jail for up to five years. Derek Muller, who teaches at Notre Dame Law School, says that giving money to people who are registered to vote might be seen as bribery, reported CNN. Musk’s super PAC tried to change how they talk about the contest, but legal experts think it is still too close to breaking election laws.

UCLA Expert Calls Musk’s Voter Sweepstakes Illegal

Rick Hasen, an election law expert from UCLA, said the sweepstakes was vote-buying, which breaks the law. He pointed out that tying these prizes to voter registration goes against both federal and state laws that aim to protect elections. Other legal experts shared similar worries. David Becker, who used to work at the Justice Department, said that focusing on swing states could support the idea that the giveaway tries to change the election’s result.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also spoke up about his concerns. He questioned whether the initiative was legal and how it might sway voters. In a public interview, he mentioned that putting so much money into political campaigns raises big questions that might need law enforcement to look into it.

Musk’s team tries to present the lottery as a job opportunity. Winners would act as spokespersons for the super PAC. However, legal experts do not buy this idea.

Despite the ongoing legal scrutiny, the giveaway continues, with more winners announced at pro-Trump events.Musk has given money to elections before. He has already put over $75 million into his America PAC. However, people see this lottery plan as his riskiest and most argued-about move so far.