Justice Department warns Elon Musk’s America PAC over $1 million voter sweepstakes

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a warning to Elon Musk’s political action committee, America PAC, regarding a controversial $1 million sweepstakes for registered voters, according to multiple media reports. The initiative, announced by Musk on Saturday, involves daily cash prizes of $1 million to voters in seven key battleground states until the November 5 presidential election.

Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, revealed the contest at a Trump campaign event in Pennsylvania. He stated that the goal was to boost voter registrations in swing states, potentially influencing the outcome of the election, which pits former President Donald Trump against Vice President Kamala Harris.

However, federal law prohibits incentivizing voter registration with monetary rewards. The Justice Department’s public integrity section, which oversees election law violations, reportedly sent a letter to Musk’s PAC warning that the sweepstakes could be unlawful. The daily prize, awarded to random participants, is contingent on being a registered voter, raising concerns that the initiative may violate laws against paying people to register to vote.

The Justice Department has declined to comment on the matter, but election law experts have been vocal in their criticism. Danielle Lang, a professor at Georgetown Law specializing in election law, explained that the sweepstakes could lead to civil or criminal enforcement by federal authorities.

The states in question — Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — are expected to play a pivotal role in the 2024 election. Critics argue that Musk’s sweepstakes could have a disproportionate impact on voter behavior in these critical regions.

Musk’s PAC requires winners to sign a petition supporting free speech and the right to bear arms, further complicating the legality of the offer. Despite the growing legal concerns, Musk has not publicly addressed the Justice Department’s warning. He did, however, defend the sweepstakes on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), stating that participants could come from any political affiliation and were not required to vote.

In an apparent shift in messaging, Musk’s PAC reframed the giveaway on social media as a “job” in which winners would act as spokespersons for the PAC. However, legal experts have noted that the underlying rules of the sweepstakes — requiring registered voter status in swing states — remain unchanged.

Musk has been an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, donating $75 million to a pro-Trump political action committee and making appearances at campaign events. The sweepstakes is seen as part of his broader efforts to influence the 2024 presidential election.

As the legal scrutiny intensifies, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has expressed concern over the contest, calling it “deeply concerning” and urging further investigation. Musk responded by dismissing Shapiro’s remarks, suggesting the governor’s concerns were unwarranted.