Michigan opens investigation into Elon Musk PAC for potential election violations – Washington Examiner
Michigan’s Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, has initiated an investigation into a political action committee (PAC) backed by Elon Musk, dubbed the America PAC, which supports former President Donald Trump. The investigation focuses on the PAC’s methodology for collecting voter data, specifically through a webpage that claims to facilitate voter registration.
Concerns have been raised regarding the PAC’s “register to vote” page, which, after individuals provide personal information, leads them to a message thanking them and suggesting further action with a generic prompt to “complete a form below.” However, there is no actual form to fill out, raising allegations of misleading practices designed to exploit voters’ personal data. Bocce stated, “Every citizen should know exactly how their personal information is being used by PACs…” highlighting the need for transparency in such operations.
The investigation is ongoing, and it reflects broader concerns about the use of personal data in political campaign efforts, particularly in pivotal swing states like Michigan.
Michigan opens investigation into Elon Musk PAC for potential election violations
Michigan’s secretary of state is investigating a new PAC, backed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, for its efforts to collect voter data potentially in violation of election laws.
Musk said he created and helped fund the America PAC, a PAC that supports former President Donald Trump. Now, Michigan is investigating the PAC for taking voter data through a potentially misleading “register to vote” page.
The PAC targets Michigan voters as well as voters in other key battleground states after people submit their personal information on a webpage saying “register to vote.” After one clicks on the “register to vote” tab on the website, those with an address or ZIP code in a swing state are brought to a page that says “thank you” and asks people to “complete a form below” to finish the voter registration process.
However, there is no other form to complete after the words “thank you,” which has led some to believe the effort is misleading.
“Every citizen should know exactly how their personal information is being used by PACs, especially if an entity is claiming it will help people register to vote in Michigan or any other state,” a spokeswoman for the Michigan secretary of state’s office said in a statement to CNBC.
“While the America PAC is a federal political action committee, the Department is reviewing their activities to determine if there have been any violations of state law. We will refer potential violations to the Michigan Attorney General’s office as appropriate,” the spokeswoman added.
Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat who is currently Michigan’s secretary of state and the lead election official in the state, has been a vocal opponent of election-related misinformation. The spokeswoman said the investigation is in its early stages and cannot confirm if the focus is on any specific aspect of the PAC at this time.
Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s reelection campaign and in recent years has moved to the right of the political spectrum as a strong critic of diversity initiatives and the Biden administration.
The America PAC did not return the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
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