Elon Musk defends $1 million giveaway after Justice Department warning

Tech billionaire Elon Musk defended the legality of his super PAC’s $1 million daily giveaway to registered voters in swing states, days after the Justice Department sent a letter warning that the lottery-style contest might be unlawful.

During an online town hall event Friday on his social media app X, Musk asserted that the purpose of the contest, which targets registered voters who sign his PAC’s petition, was not to induce people to register to vote. That’s a distinction that legal experts have said is important, because it’s illegal under federal law to pay people to register to vote. 

“To be clear, this is not a petition to vote for or register for anyone. It’s really a petition in support of the Constitution of the United States, and in particular, freedom of speech and the right to bear arms,” he said.

Musk’s America PAC has been giving away $1 million a day since Saturday to a registered voter in one of seven battleground states who has signed an online petition pledging support for the First and Second Amendments. The PAC is also offering $100 to Pennsylvania registered voters who sign the petition. When Musk debuted the giveaways, he was conducting a series of town halls where he repeatedly emphasized the importance of voter registration and his support for former President Donald Trump.

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