The United States Department of Justice has warned businessman Elon Musk’s political organization that the daily one-million-dollar raffle to encourage election participation may be illegal, local media reported this Wednesday.
On October 20, 2024, Musk announced that he would give one million US dollars daily to a registered voter in particularly contested US states until the November 5 elections, launching these raffles in Pennsylvania, one of the seven swing states that will likely define the next President of the United States between Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. The state could be particularly important as it has 19 electoral votes, with 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidential election.
The contest’s requirements have drawn legal scrutiny. Winners are randomly chosen, but must be registered voters and sign a petition supporting “freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.” Danielle Lang, a Georgetown Law School professor specializing in election law, told AFP that the contest could be “subject to civil or criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice.” Adav Noti, executive director of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center explained, “It is illegal to give money with the condition that recipients register as voters.” Law professor Richard Hasen from the University of California in Los Angeles noted that limiting participation to registered voters could be interpreted as creating an incentive for registration.
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According to the Washington Post, a group of former prosecutors and government officials called on the Justice Department on October 21, 2024, to investigate the action. While Musk maintains the million-dollar gift is intended to bring more attention to the petition, the Department of Justice declined to comment on the warning issued to his America PAC.
Recent Financial Contributions:
- Donated $10 million on October 1 to the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) linked to Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell
- Made a significant donation of about $75 million in late September to America PAC, which he helped create
- America PAC has disclosed nearly $118 million in total contributions to the presidential race.
Trump recently hinted that if elected, the Tesla CEO could lead a committee to review US finances and cut government spending. The billionaire, who often complains about allegedly excessive requirements from authorities for Tesla and SpaceX, currently stands as the world’s richest person with an estimated fortune of more that 200 billion US dollars.
