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Justice Department warns Elon Musk that his $1 million giveaway to registered voters may be illegal

By Evan Perez, Hannah Rabinowitz and Marshall Cohen, CNN

The Justice Department warned Elon Musk’s America PAC in recent days that his $1 million sweepstakes to registered voters in swing states may violate federal law, people briefed on the matter told CNN.

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.

CNN has reached out seeking comment from Musk, several email addresses listed on the super PAC’s website, the group’s treasurer, and Musk’s press team at the X platform.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

“We want to try to get over a million, maybe 2 million voters in the battleground states to sign the petition in support of the First and Second Amendment,” Musk said in announcing the sweepstakes at a Trump campaign event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. “We are going to be awarding $1 million randomly to people who have signed the petition, every day, from now until the election.”

After Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat and former state attorney general, said Sunday that the giveaway was “deeply concerning” and deserved legal scrutiny, Musk posted on his X platform that it was “concerning that he would say such a thing.”

In response to a post claiming Musk was “paying to register Republicans,” Musk said winners “can be from any or no political party and you don’t even have to vote.” He did not address the potential legal problem of only opening the lottery to registered voters.

On Sunday, the second day of the sweepstakes, the super PAC reframed its messaging around the giveaway, describing the money as payment for a job. In social media posts, the group said winners would be “selected to earn $1M as a spokesperson for America PAC” – and subsequently posted pro-Trump testimonial videos featuring the winners.

However, several election law experts who spoke to CNN pointed out that the fine print on Musk’s super PAC website explaining the official terms of entry did not change. Only petition signers can win the $1 million prize, and signers “must be registered voters of Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin.”

It’s not clear when Musk received the Justice Department’s letter and whether it prompted changes to messaging around the giveaway.

Judolisco:
OK... What about Bill Gates donation..... Funny people.... In Africa they call it vote buying, in America na donation

JASONjnr:
Those are donations and not funds for joke.

Also American government always ensure that they track down it's currency across the globe..

joseph1832:
This is pure vote buying. No matter the fancy name or whatever Elon and his cohorts want to call it, it's vote buying. It's as if Elon Musk got this idea from naija politicians. Who would have thought Nigeria politicians can teach Elon Musk how to play very dirty politics. Lol.

CatchMeIfUCanMO:
You are jonzing...

There is limit to what an individual can donate according to their law, so what changed?

They are just jittery that Musk is actively swinging people or voters to Trump's side.

That Bill Gates own no even carry weight.

Judolisco:
OK... What about Bill Gates donation..... Funny people.... In Africa they call it vote buying, in America na donation

Ironbull:
Arrest the South Africa bastard and send him back home.

Obrigardo:
I told you guys elon musk in real deep shit.

He might even be deported back to south africa and the US government cancel all his contracts and revoke his security clearance.

The man is a clear enemy against the United States.

Obrigardo:
I told you guys elon musk in real deep shit.

He might even be deported back to south africa and the US government cancel all his contracts and revoke his security clearance.

The man is a clear enemy against the United States.

If we ask you why you are supporting Kamala Harris, you go start to ramble.


I just checked your profile. You've created over 250 Anti-Trump topics and over 5,000 comments against him.

You need to stop watching CNN asap. It's affecting you already.

I was once in your shoes so I know what I am saying. CNN brainwashed me no be small

Obrigardo:
I told you guys elon musk in real deep shit.

He might even be deported back to south africa and the US government cancel all his contracts and revoke his security clearance.

The man is a clear enemy against the United States.

easyfem:
But bill gate gave money to haris this week na .

Obrigardo:
I told you guys elon musk in real deep shit.

He might even be deported back to south africa and the US government cancel all his contracts and revoke his security clearance.

The man is a clear enemy against the United States.

easyfem:
But bill gate gave money to haris this week na .

Ironbull:
Arrest the South Africa bastard and send him back home.

Klington:


Elo musk is visibly doing everything possible to make sure Trump succeeds. That's the beauty of true democracy especially when you make legitimate income.

In Nigeria, those criminal money bags will rather pitch their tents with an obvious incompetent mediocre so their shady business dealings can continue to thrive.

Nigeria is not a real place.

Passionnn:
Vote buying in disguise.

Winnin009:
They are saner bro. No give black people hope. As you can see, he dey use scope do am. Your leaders here will first improvish you then dangle nonsense so that on election day right in front of your faces so that you can sell your votes for them to keep improvishing you.