Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Sunday that Donald Trump-loving tech mogul Elon Musk is facing legal scrutiny over a $1 million donation aimed at getting people to register to vote. He suggested that he might face it.
Musk, 53, will give registered voters in Pennsylvania or one of the other key battleground states between Saturday and Nov. 5 if they sign America PAC's comprehensive petition supporting free speech He promised to hand out $1 million checks randomly every day. the right to bear arms.
Mr. Musk, who has so far handed out two $2 million checks in Pennsylvania, originally formed the PAC to support Mr. Trump in the presidential election.
“I think there are big questions about how.” [Musk] I'm spending money on this race. How dark money is flowing, not just in Pennsylvania, but clearly now flowing into the pockets of Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said on NBC News' “Meet the Press.”
“That's very concerning.”
Shapiro, 51, who served as Pennsylvania's attorney general from 2017 to 2023, did not call the move illegal but said prosecutors may investigate it.
“I think this is something that law enforcement might consider. I'm no longer the attorney general of Pennsylvania. I'm the governor, but this raises some serious questions.” When asked if it was legal, he replied:
The Pennsylvania governor is seeking support from Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for his oratory skills and for his potential to help lock down the critical state in November's presidential runoff against Republican Trump. He was widely rumored to be one of the finalists for the Veep Stakes.
In the end, she chose Minnesota because of her friendly relationship with Governor Tim Walz and the fact that Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) had badmouthed the local governor to her campaign. This was in response to what he was reported to have said.
Musk has become increasingly political in recent years, supporting former President Donald Trump over the summer following the July 13 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The technology guru was particularly based in the Keystone State, where he lived for about three years for his studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania has the most electoral votes of the seven battleground states, with 19 touted as contesting.
Mr. Musk's PAC was formed in July to boost support for Mr. Trump and was intended to assist in recruiting efforts. The billionaire has donated about $75 million to the cause.
So far, only two people have won the $1 million prize: John Dreher and Kristin Fischel. The billionaire previously vowed that his PAC would give $100 to registered voters in battleground states who sign petitions.
During the 2024 campaign, Musk held multiple town halls in Pennsylvania, answering questions from voters and warning them about the stakes in the race.
he reportedly He spoke by phone with Shapiro earlier this month to discuss the possibility of investing in Pennsylvania.
Given that he was born in South Africa, Musk is constitutionally ineligible to seek the presidency himself. Still, there are talks of the former Prez possibly leading a government efficiency operation under the Trump administration if he regains the White House.
Last week, Musk took a separate victory lap after his SpaceX team successfully captured a Starship booster with the chopstick-like arm of the Mechazilla tower.
This is a major step forward in SpaceX's goal of developing a rapidly reusable super-heavy-lift rocket that can fly to destinations like the Moon and Mars.
