The U.S. Justice Department has issued a warning to Elon Musk regarding his America PAC's $1 million giveaway to registered voters, which may be in violation of federal law.
The sweepstakes, aimed at increasing voter registrations in swing states, involves awarding $1 million daily to individuals who sign a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments.
However, only registered voters in battleground states such as Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are eligible to participate.
The Justice Department's letter, sent to Musk's political action committee, highlights concerns that the lottery-style giveaway could contravene laws prohibiting financial incentives for voter registration.
Despite these warnings, Musk has defended the initiative on social media, asserting that winners "can be from any or no political party and you don’t even have to vote." Nevertheless, the legal ambiguity surrounding the contest has prompted scrutiny from election law experts and state officials.
Following the DOJ's warning, Musk's super PAC did not announce a winner for its "daily" $1 million giveaway on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, marking a departure from its previous practice of naming winners each day since the sweepstakes began.
This pause coincided with heightened pressure on prosecutors to examine the legality of the initiative. While the Justice Department has declined to comment further, the situation remains under close observation as it unfolds.
Comments