Two weeks before the 2024 elections, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) is voicing concerns about Elon Musk’s decision to award $1 million daily to a randomly chosen individual who signs a petition from his pro-Trump Super PAC, America PAC. Musk made this announcement during a town hall in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as part of a broader effort to gather support in swing states.
The tech mogul, known for his leadership of companies like X, Tesla and SpaceX, justified the initiative, saying it aims to spread awareness of his platform’s message, asserting that “legacy media won’t report about it.” The daily $1 million giveaway is set to continue until November 5, targeting registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina.
Shapiro Calls for Investigation
In an appearance on NBC’s Meet The Press, Shapiro responded to questions about the legality of Musk’s proposal. He expressed concerns over the potential influence of such large sums of money on the election process, especially in battleground states like Pennsylvania. “I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race, how the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania, but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians. That is deeply concerning,” Shapiro stated.
While Shapiro acknowledged Musk’s right to support any candidate, he questioned the transparency and legality of the financial incentives. “When you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions that folks may want to take a look at,” he added, suggesting that law enforcement should consider investigating the matter.
Musk responded to the governor’s accusations in a similar manner, according to Fox News:
Later that day, Musk himself responded on X.
“Concerning that he would say such a thing,” Musk wrote.
Federal Elections Commission (FEC) filings show Musk was the sole donor of the America PAC, making around $75 million in contributions between July and September. In that time span, the PAC spent around $72 million, according to disclosures.
Musk officially endorsed former President Trump over the summer and has since been on the campaign trail holding several Pennsylvania rallies for him over the last week.
Incentives and Criticism
The America PAC initiative offers $47 for referring a registered voter from a swing state and $100 for each referral in Pennsylvania. So far, two Pennsylvanians have already received $1 million each for signing the petition, which supports constitutional rights, particularly freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.
During his segment, Shapiro emphasized his position as governor rather than attorney general, indicating that he no longer has direct authority over such investigations but believes the matter warrants further scrutiny. “I’m not the attorney general anymore of Pennsylvania,” he said. “I’m the governor, but it does raise some serious questions.”
Fetterman Warns of Musk’s Influence
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman also weighed in, cautioning fellow Democrats about Musk’s rising influence among voters. Speaking to the New York Post, he noted that Musk’s active participation in rallies and his endorsement of Donald Trump could sway the battleground state. “Musk is a concern… Not even just that he has endorsed [Trump], but the fact that now he’s becoming an active participant,” Fetterman commented.
Fetterman likened Musk’s public persona to that of fictional billionaire Tony Stark, suggesting that many view Musk as a successful, influential figure. He warned Democrats against underestimating Musk’s impact, saying, “They are doing that at our peril.”
“Pennsylvania picks the president,” he cautioned, alluding to the potential impact of the $75 million Musk has funneled into pro-Trump efforts. “Trump has a connection that’s undeniable. And anyone that spends any time across Pennsylvania can see that kind of devotion, and that’s why it’s going to be very close.”
Shifting Reactions from Allies
Businessman Mark Cuban initially supported Shapiro’s call for a closer look into Musk’s activities, even urging an investigation through a tweet. However, he has since softened his stance on the issue, reflecting the varied reactions to Musk’s high-profile involvement in the election.
READ NEXT: 5 Congressional Races That Could Fundamentally Transform A Trump Victory
Shapiro worrying about what Musk is doing when Democrats bribe voters every election.Funny actually,I never heard a Democrat wondering about the legality of their bribes.
Perhaps the Governor should have his minions look into ACTBlue and their blatant money laundering scheme of taking likely illegal foreign contributions and funneling it into the Dems by claiming small dollar donations from people, who most cases never gave anywhere near what ACTBlue reports to the FEC.
Sounds like sour-grapes from somebody who’s NOT GETTING any of that money.
Democommies ALWAYS want their hands in someone ELSE’S pockets !
But it’s OK when Soros and Zuckerberg fund thevote-counting apparatus in many counties, then $oros buys dozens of radio stations (all with the news/talk format) a month before the election.
TANTAMOUNT TO BUYING VOTES!
Impossible under the Bible’s one-God, one-vote election system. You cannot buy God’s vote at any price!
One of the dumbest things the constitutional framers did was to usurp Yahweh’s exclusive election authority (per Deuteronomy 17:15, etc.), thereby turning election “discretion” over to We the People the majority of whom, according to Christ in Matthew 7:13, are in the broad way leading to *destruction.* Gee, just what do you think could go wrong?
Add to that Article 6’s Christian test ban by which mandatory biblical qualifications (such as, Exodus 18:21) were eliminated and you have the perfect recipe disaster.
The governor is probably pissed because there is no way for him to siphon off any of the money! Just trying to do what democrats do best!