Today is the deadline to register to vote in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. And Elon Musk's push to help former President Donald Trump win that state now includes a financial giveaway that's raising legal questions.
The billionaire has already committed at least $70 million to the Trump campaign. Now he's offering a daily $1 million giveaway to registered voters who sign a petition launched by Musk's political action committee.
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At a rally Sunday, Musk said, "every day from now until the election, we're giving out a $1 million prize — all you have to do is sign a petition in support of the Constitution."
Musk initially offered $47 then $100 for referring registered voters in seven battleground states to sign a petition supporting freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.
Registered voters who sign the petition are now eligible for the daily $1 million offer. But it's an effort that's raising concerns for Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
"I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race, how the dark money is flowing not just into Pennsylvania, but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians. That is deeply concerning," Shapiro said.
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Brendan Fischer is a campaign finance expert and the Deputy Executive Director of Documented, an investigative watchdog project.
"The problem is not that Elon Musk is encouraging people to register, which is fine, but that he is potentially paying people to register or conditioning payments; conditioning these payments on their registration and that appears to violate the law."
Musk has given out two checks already.
Kristine Fishell is one of the winners. She praised Musk saying, "your wealth and responsibility you are using to save speech, and we just all appreciate it. We really do. So thank you so much."
"What this may represent is the next frontier of money and politics," Fischer added. "Where billionaires are giving money directly to voters in exchange for their registering and potentially voting."
