Elon Musk's $1 million daily payouts from Trump rally draw legal scrutiny

Billionaire Elon Musk pledged Saturday to give away $1 million every day until the November election to someone who signs his online petition. The first prize was presented at a PAC event benefiting Republican Donald Trump, raising questions about the legality of the payments.

Musk presented a $1 million check to an attendee at his America PAC event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to rally supporters for presidential candidate Trump. The winner, according to event staff, was a man named John Dreher.

“John had no idea, by the way. You’re welcome,” said the Tesla founder as he handed Dreher the check.

The money is the latest example of Musk using his extraordinary wealth to influence the hotly contested presidential race between Trump and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Musk founded America PAC, a political action organization he created to support Trump's presidential campaign. The group helps mobilize and register voters in battleground states, but there are signs it is struggling to achieve its goals.

“Deeply worrying”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said on NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday that Musk's plan to donate money to registered voters in Pennsylvania was “deeply concerning” and “that law enforcement could take a look at it.” .

Questions abounded Saturday evening about the legality of these cash payments, as election law experts pointed to various provisions in federal law that prohibit cash payments to voters.

It is a federal crime to pay, induce, or reward people with the intent to vote or register, a felony punishable by prison time. The ban applies not just to spending money, but also to anything of monetary value, such as alcohol or lottery odds, according to a Justice Department handbook on election crimes.

The event in Harrisburg was the third in Pennsylvania, where Musk has laid out the November election in stark terms, encouraging his supporters to vote early and urging others to do the same.

He said Saturday that if Harris wins, it will be “the last election.”

He also said the two assassination attempts against Trump were evidence of his discontent and upending the status quo.

The petition asking Musk to sign states: “The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing, I pledge my support for the First and Second Amendments.”

Attendees at Saturday's event were required to sign the petition, which will allow America PAC to collect contact information from more potential voters to get to the polls for Trump.

Musk, ranked by Forbes as the world's richest person, has donated at least $75 million to America PAC so far, according to federal data, making the group a crucial part of Trump's effort to win back the White House.

The entrepreneur behind automaker Tesla and rocket and satellite company SpaceX has increasingly supported Republican causes and became an outspoken Trump supporter this year.

Trump, in turn, has said that if elected, he would appoint Musk to head a government efficiency commission.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)