Dr. Richard Hasen, an election law professor at UCLA and an analyst for NBC News, noted that Musk’s approach was unprecedented. “He has used the platform to support Trump in a way that’s far more overt than we’ve ever seen from any other media or social platform,” Hasen said. Despite this, Hasen believes Musk has not violated campaign finance laws, as long as he continues to disclose his ties to Trump.
America PAC, founded in May, has previously drawn attention for its unconventional methods to drive voter registration in swing states. The super PAC has received donations from Musk, who endorsed Trump following an assassination attempt in July, as well as from his Silicon Valley peers. The group has run ads on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram targeting swing-state voters.
In August, America PAC’s website was criticized for collecting personal data under the pretext of voter registration, only fully directing individuals in swing states to complete the process. Election officials in Michigan and North Carolina opened inquiries into whether the site was misleading, but Michigan officials ultimately found no evidence of state campaign finance violations. America PAC declined to comment on the investigations.
