Elon Musk recently made headlines for giving approximately $44 million to his pro-Donald Trump spending group in the first half of October. This information was revealed in a federal filing by Musk’s America PAC group. This contribution comes after Musk had previously donated around $75 million to the group between July and September.
America PAC is focused on mobilizing voters in key battleground states for the upcoming election. The group also disclosed that they spent over $47 million in the first half of October. With the Trump campaign heavily relying on outside groups for voter outreach, Musk’s super PAC, as the world’s richest man, is playing a significant role in the election campaign.
In addition to Musk’s contributions, the Trump campaign itself reported spending more than $88 million on ads in the first half of the month. This left the campaign with $36 million in funds for the final phase of campaigning, with $16 million raised during that period. On the other hand, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, which has been outpacing Trump’s campaign in fundraising and spending, has not yet disclosed its financial report for the first half of October.
Furthermore, another conservative super PAC, the Sentinel Action Fund, received $2.3 million from Musk. With these donations, Musk joins the league of Republican mega donors such as Timothy Mellon and Miriam Adelson. America PAC has been running a campaign to drum up support for Trump by giving away $1 million daily to a randomly selected person who signs their online petition, limited to registered voters in battleground states.
However, this tactic has raised concerns, as the Justice Department sent a letter to America PAC warning that these giveaways might violate federal law. The legality of such actions is a topic of debate among legal experts, with some questioning if Musk’s approach could be considered paying individuals to register to vote. America PAC has not yet commented on the letter or the allegations.
Overall, Musk’s significant contributions to the pro-Trump group and the controversy surrounding the giveaway campaign have put a spotlight on the role of mega donors in political campaigns and the intricacies of election laws. As the election date draws nearer, the impact of these donations and campaign strategies remains to be seen.
