By Republican and Democrat party members made every effort to sway American voters in the 2024 election, however, one individual played a pivotal role in promoting Donald Trump: Elon Musk.
In mid-October, Musk initiated an absurd lottery, offering $1 million per day to registered voters in swing states who sign a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments. Participants who signed the petition also received $47 in exchange for their involvement.
If this sounds like a bribery effort to collect Republican voters, it’s technically not.
The petition was created under Musk’s new super political action committee, America PAC. Super Political Action Committees (PACs) are tax-exempt organizations that allow the collection of unlimited campaign contributions from corporations, interest groups and individuals. The funds are then used to advocate for or against politicians.
These organizations generally support a political party or cause, but Musk’s America PAC primarily supported the reelection of former President Donald Trump.
When America PAC started in May 2024, Musk was the sole contributor. Over the past couple of months, Musk has gotten a number of major names in the tech-market to donate to America PAC.
Notable figures including Doug Leone, Joe Lonsdale and Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are a few of the people in the tech sphere who align themselves with Trump due to his promise to deregulate the tech market.
The names listed, alongside others who support PAC, have much in common with Musk and his fellow financial backers, including sexual assault allegations, violating securities laws, and the use of litigation against smaller parties.
Over the past four years, Musk has transformed from a libertarian supporter of the Democratic party to a full right-wing conservative MAGA Republican.
Musk has publicly denounced illegal immigration, despite having been an undocumented citizen at one point in his life.
He has spread misinformation about crime rates related to specific racial demographics on his social media platform, which he claims to manage well.
He also meddled in global politics, including the 2023 Turkish Election, and maintains a relationship with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
According to Forbes, Musk is the richest man in the world having built his wealth through companies SpaceX and Tesla, which have become some of the most used government contractors in the United States.
Musk has leveraged his wealth and power to position himself at the center of American politics and bureaucracy, however some people recognize the malignancy of Musk’s efforts. The state of Pennsylvania has sued Musk and his America PAC for their money giveaway.
The lawsuit alleges that Musk and his America PAC were illegally running a lottery in Pennsylvania, where the state law requires all lotteries to be regulated by the Commonwealth.
The U.S. Department of Justice has also launched an investigation into his money giveaway.
The DOJ sent a letter to Musk and his PAC, indicating that they could potentially be violating federal election laws. This concern arises from the fact that Musk’s giveaway is limited to only registered voters in swing states, excluding voters in 43 other states.
Following the DOJ’s warning, Musk and America PAC have paused the million-dollar giveaway and halted payments promised for signing the petition.
Ultimately, Musk’s money giveaway is a form of election meddling. It exemplifies how the 1% in the United States and around the world use their power and influence to sway public opinion and shape politics to their advantage.
