Pennsylvania governor says law enforcement should investigate Elon Musk's $1 million voter scam | US elections 2024

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said law enforcement should look into Elon Musk's new ploy to donate $1 million to a registered voter who submitted a petition supporting free speech in key areas every day leading up to the U.S. presidential election Swing States signs.

Legal experts said it appeared to violate laws that prohibit incentivizing people to register to vote. On Sunday, Shapiro expressed similar concerns. Monday is the deadline to register in Pennsylvania.

“I think there are real questions about how he's spending money in this race, how the dark money is flowing not only into Pennsylvania but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. “This is deeply worrying.”

Later in the interview, Shapiro added: “I think this is something that law enforcement should address. I’m no longer the attorney general of Pennsylvania, I’m the governor, but it raises serious questions.”

Since Musk announced the plan on Saturday, he has given the award to two registered voters in Pennsylvania. Signing the petition is now also a requirement for participation in Musk's town hall events.

Last week it was reported that Musk has donated around $75 million so far in the past three months to his political action committee America Pac, which supports Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and through which he organizes the raffle.

With just 14 days left until the presidential election, Musk's petition and giveaway appear primarily aimed at encouraging Trump voters to register to vote, election experts said.

Several legal experts said Musk appears to be violating federal election laws that prohibit paying or offering to pay someone to register to vote or vote.

Rick Hasen, a law professor at UCLA, called it “illegal vote buying” and said America Pac's $1 million raffle appeared to be an illegal program because the payments were offered to registered voters.

“Although some of the other things Musk did may have had unclear legality, this one is clearly illegal,” Hasen said.

“Who can sign the petitions? Only registered voters in swing states, making it illegal.”

David Becker, a former Justice Department official and founder of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, told CNN that the award was only available to registered voters “in one of seven swing states that could affect the outcome of the presidential election.” It's evidence of Musk's intent to influence the race, which could raise legal issues.