Elon Musk’s recent actions have come under scrutiny as he pledges financial incentives to registered voters who sign a petition supporting free speech and the right to bear arms, raising potential concerns regarding election law violations. The billionaire entrepreneur, known for his support of Donald Trump, issued a $1 million check to an audience member at a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania rally. This marked the start of daily distributions to registered voters in swing states willing to sign his political action committee’s petition.
Musk’s cash incentives follow an earlier offer of $100 for Pennsylvania voters who publicly pledged their support for the First and Second Amendments and $47 for voters in other swing states like Michigan, Arizona, and Georgia. Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, previously the state’s attorney general and a supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris, suggested on Sunday that these actions might necessitate law enforcement review.
“There are real questions about his financial activities in this race and how undisclosed money is being distributed—not just in Pennsylvania, but also to Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro commented in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, expressing significant concern.
Legal expert Richard Hasen, specializing in election law, stated that Musk’s pledge violates core prohibitions against vote buying in U.S. federal elections, likening it to a “$1 million lottery open only to people who register or are registered to vote.”
Federal law prohibits offering financial incentives to influence voting behavior or to reward voters, classifying “anything having monetary value”—like cash or lottery chances—as prohibited, according to a Department of Justice election crimes manual.
Musk has positioned himself as a prominent supporter of Trump during the former president’s re-election campaign, having appeared unexpectedly at a recent Pennsylvania rally and contributing nearly $75 million to the campaign, as federal filings reveal.
Additionally, Musk’s America Pac is playing a vital role in Trump’s voter mobilization efforts for November 5, funding traditional campaign activities such as door-knocking and yard signs. Musk frequently uses his platform X to amplify Trump’s messages and conspiracy theories. Recently, he claimed to over 2 million followers that Democrats are mobilizing illegal immigrants to vote in swing states and suggested that his company SpaceX was coerced by the government into controversial activities.
Musk has advocated for “sensible regulations” and believes a Trump victory could benefit his business ventures related to space exploration, artificial intelligence, and brain-computer interfaces.
With the election approaching, Musk expressed his intention for swing state voters to be aware of his initiative, believing it will achieve widespread attention. Battleground states like Pennsylvania are critical for both candidates seeking victory, with Republicans currently leading in voter registration there, offering a slight advantage to Trump. In the 2020 election, Trump lost Pennsylvania to Joe Biden by just over 80,000 votes.
Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
