Former US President Donald Trump dances as he leaves a rally in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Mogul Elon Musk delivers a speech at the Life Center Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, at a campaign event last Saturday
NEW YORK (EFE).— The one million dollar “lottery” offered the day before yesterday by billionaire Elon Musk to those who sign a statement favorable to the Republican candidate for the White House and former president of the United States (2017-2021) Donald Trump, in the so-called “hinge states” of the country, gave rise to abundant doubts about its legality in the hours immediately following, according to the US media yesterday.
Musk promised to give up to a million dollars a day, randomly, to registered voters in key states who sign a petition from ‘America PAC’, the political action committee with which he is investing tens of millions of dollars in support of Trump. , in order to “support the Constitution of the United States, especially the right to freedom of speech and to bear arms”
According to Musk, the payment has already been made twice, on Saturday and Sunday, and will continue to be made “every day, until the elections (on November 5),” said the tycoon, who has been openly campaigning for Trump for several weeks.
CNN cites several experts who question this initiative: a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, Derek Muller, who pointed out that limiting prizes or gifts only to registered voters fuels “suspicions of bribery,” and especially when some states make even financial incentives for voting (no matter who) illegal.
Electoral law expert Rick Hasen, from the UCLA School of Law, interviewed by CBS, was more blunt, and pointed out that if Musk was moving on shaky ground until now, “this latest (initiative) is clearly illegal.” ”, and stressed that the illegality lies above all in limiting the prizes only to registered voters. On his blog, he added that “this is clearly illegal vote buying.”
The “New York Times” newspaper recalls that federal laws explicitly prohibit paying to vote or even to register – it only tolerates the transportation of people to vote – and collects conflicting opinions from two experts: Brendan Fischer, a campaign expert, believes that the Musk’s promise borders on illegality by conditioning payment on registration, but another expert, Brad Smith, clarifies that Musk does not pay to register, but only to sign a petition (for which you must register in advance).
On Sunday in the columns of the “Washington Post”, Brett Kappel, an expert campaign finance lawyer at the Harmon Curran firm, said: “You can’t give people something of value in exchange for them voting or registering to vote.” , and made reference to a federal law.
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To participants who have signed the statement, though the validity and legality of these actions have raised significant concerns among legal experts and political analysts.
Musk’s initiative, which he describes as a way to galvanize support for Trump in pivotal states ahead of the upcoming presidential election, has drawn sharp criticism. Critics argue that such a lottery could violate campaign finance laws, as it may constitute an attempt to buy votes or influence the electoral process in a way that is not permissible under existing statutes.
The billionaire has defended his actions by emphasizing his commitment to free speech and Second Amendment rights, claiming that the lottery is merely a tool to encourage civic engagement among voters who share his political beliefs. However, the potential ramifications of this approach could lead to increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies and could influence public perception of both Musk and Trump as they enter the final stretch of the campaign.
As the situation evolves, it’s expected that further legal challenges may emerge, and both Musk and the Trump campaign may need to navigate a complex landscape of electoral laws and regulations in order to ensure compliance. The outcome of this initiative could have lasting implications on the electoral process and how political endorsements are incentivized in the future.
