Justice Department warns Elon Musk that his $1 million giveaway to registered voters may be illegal
Source: CNN
The Justice Department warned Elon Musks 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.
Musks 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.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/23/politics/elon-musk-justice-department-letter/index.html
Link to tweet
intrepidity
(7,797 posts)dweller
(24,677 posts)May be a strongly worded letter
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LetMyPeopleVote
(153,594 posts)mpcamb
(2,950 posts)C_U_L8R
(45,525 posts)There is no other explanation.
JohnSJ
(95,609 posts)Owl
(3,686 posts)onecaliberal
(35,404 posts)thesquanderer
(12,275 posts)It can depend on the interpretation of the law, and you end up with something lawyers will argue and judges/juries will have to decide.
Just reading the text of the post, you can see ambiguity. It is illegal to pay someone to register to vote.
Musk's defense possibilities:
... He's not giving people money, he's giving them a *chance* to win money.
... Even then, he's not giving them a chance to win in exchange for registering, but rather, for signing a petition.
... Even then, the benefit does not actually require that you register to vote (since you're also eligible if you've already registered).
So there's an argument there that, technically, he is not running afoul of the law (at least depending on exactly how the law is written).
OTOH, since in order to be eligible to win, you must be a registered voter, that could incentivize unregistered people to register.
In that case, there's an argument that he is offering something of value to people (even if indirectly) in exchange for registering (regardless of the fact that he's also offering the same benefit to other people, i.e. those who are already registered).
reACTIONary
(5,953 posts)jfz9580m
(14,897 posts)Peculiar headline.
EarthFirst
(3,056 posts)its wet noodle time.
Tarzanrock
(407 posts)Bootlegging "may" be a crime, Mr. Capone. Bootlegging "might" be a crime, Mr. Nitti. Selling alcohol in underground Speakeasy saloons "may" or it "might" violate the Nations Prohibition Laws, Chicago mobsters! The U.S. Justice Department "may" or it "might" not get "tough" on you, mobsters but we are going to issue this "legal" opinion to you.
onenote
(44,155 posts)It SOP for the DOJ to send a notice to the target of an investigation. And its SOP for the DOJ to investigate before seeking an indictment.
jfz9580m
(14,897 posts)That phrasing sounded to me as though they were not sure of the law on the books..your post makes sense..they would need an investigation to make a definitive statement my error..duh .
usonian
(13,126 posts)Escurumbele
(3,572 posts)be firm about it, ITS ILLEGAL, OR ITS NOT, if it is illegal, which sounds like it is, then go after the criminal who committed the crime, IF ITS NOT! then shut up! but stop the damn "MAY BE"...
Oopsie Daisy
(4,321 posts)I wonder if the recipients of the money will also be in legal jeopardy.
Novara
(6,088 posts)It IS illegal.
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/is-doj-doing-enough-to-protect-the
travelingthrulife
(358 posts)May be...Might be.. possibly...does the check need to clear before you can state the law?