DOJ asked to probe Musk's effort to pay voters for Trump ballots
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Former Republican prosecutors have urged the Department of Justice to look into Elon Musk's attempt to bribe voters.
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Elon Musk speaks at a Life Center Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on October 19. 2024. (AP)
According to CBS News, veteran Republican prosecutors have petitioned the Justice Department to look into Elon Musk's attempt to bribe voters to vote for Donald Trump.
Legal experts believe this may violate rules prohibiting incentives for voter registration.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has significantly increased his involvement in Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, marking a dramatic shift from his previous stance on politics.
As reported by Axios earlier, Musk, who once claimed he would refrain from making political donations, has now funneled tens of millions into supporting Trump's re-election efforts.
NEW: Justice Dept confirms to @cbsnews that it has received inquiry from former federal prosecutors and GOP appointees to “request that (Justice Dept) review payments that are being made by the Elon Musk-founded America PAC to voters in Pennsylvania and other states that…
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) October 22, 2024
According to reports on social media, the Justice Department received the letter and has not made any additional comments regarding the matter.
Justice Dept confirms receipt of the letter... but declines to comment further
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) October 22, 2024
The former GOP-appointed officials want a DOJ review of Musk's effort
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called on law enforcement to look into Elon Musk's idea to offer $1 million per day to registered voters who sign a petition supporting free speech in crucial swing states until the presidential election.
Shapiro told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday that it was "deeply concerning" how Musk was spending money in the race, "how the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania, but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians."
He suggested law enforcement should "take a look" at the situation, adding he was not the attorney general of the state any longer.
Musk's effort, which has already given out two prizes in Pennsylvania, is viewed as a way to entice Trump supporters to register. Experts believe it may represent unlawful vote buying since it targets registered voters in swing states.
UCLA law professor Rick Hasen described it as "illegal vote buying," claiming that the America Pac $1 million prize draw appears to be an unlawful plan since it provided payments to registered voters.
“Though maybe some of the other things Musk was doing were of murky legality, this one is clearly illegal,” Hasen stated, adding that since only registered voters in swing states can sign the petition, this is "what makes it illegal."
