The Biden-Harris Department of Justice has issued a warning letter to Elon Musk regarding his recent initiative, offering $1 million prizes to randomly selected individuals who sign his petition. This petition drive, connected to his pro-Trump Super PAC, America PAC, has raised legal concerns, according to a report from CNN.
JUST IN: The Justice Department has sent a letter to Elon Musk's super PAC, warning that his daily $1m giveaway to registered voters in swing states might violate federal laws, sources tell CNN. It's illegal to incentivize registration with cash/prizes. @evanperez @HBRabinowitz
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) October 23, 2024
The DOJ’s action follows remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris, who confirmed that the administration is scrutinizing Musk’s voter registration efforts. Harris made these comments just one day before the DOJ’s warning:
Musk, who has thrown his support behind former President Donald Trump and is spending millions of dollars supporting his candidacy, has publicized the $1 million prize by his political action committee aiming to increase voter registrations in hotly contested states.
Musk’s initial promise to pay prizes to registered voters immediately raised concerns from election law experts and some state officials who questioned whether it ran afoul of the law.
Federal law bars paying people to register to vote. The language of the petition currently promises $1 million prizes to people chosen at random for signing a petition in support of First and Second Amendment freedoms. But to sign the petition, you must be registered to vote in specific states.
A letter from the Justice Department’s public integrity section, which investigates potential election-related law violations, went to Musk’s political action committee, according to people briefed on the matter.
🚨 #BREAKING: The Harris Biden DOJ has sent a “warning letter” to Elon Musk over his $1 million prizes for those who sign his petition, per CNN
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 23, 2024
THIS IS STRAIGHT UP LAWFARE!
This comes just ONE DAY after Kamala Harris said her people are “looking into” @elonmusk, and we ALL saw… pic.twitter.com/EQfzZcmGly
The initiative first drew widespread attention when Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) expressed concerns. On Sunday, Shapiro questioned the legality of Musk’s plan to award $1 million daily to participants in the petition drive. Musk announced the initiative during a town hall in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as part of a broader strategy to build support in key swing states.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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How does this differ from Harris offering housing downpayments, loan forgiveness etc.?