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Tesla CEO Elon Musk contributed approximately $44 million to his pro-Donald Trump in the first half of October, federal disclosures revealed on Thursday, and additionally donated more money to another conservative super PAC, the Sentinel Action Fund.
The report showed that Musk had given around $75 million to the group over three months from July to September, demonstrating his increasing efforts to support the Republican candidate in the upcoming November 5 election.
During the same period, America PAC, which focuses on voter turnout in closely contested states that could determine the election’s outcome, reportedly had spent more than $47 million, Reuters reported.
The Trump campaign heavily relies on outside groups for voter canvassing, making the super PAC founded by Musk, the world’s richest man, a crucial player in what is anticipated to be a tight race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to a separate filing with the federal election commission, the Trump campaign reported spending more than $88 million on ads in the first half of the month, leaving them with $36 million in the bank for the final stretch of campaigning. During this period, the Trump campaign raised $16 million.
As of the time of reporting, the Harris campaign, which has recently outraised and outspent Trump’s campaign, had not yet filed a report detailing their campaign finances for the first half of the month.
Musk’s donations to America PAC have propelled him into the exclusive club of Republican mega donors, which also includes banking heir Timothy Mellon and casino billionaire Miriam Adelson. Additionally, Musk donated $2.3 million to another conservative super PAC, the Sentinel Action Fund.
As part of its strategy to generate support for Trump, Musk is also promising to give $1 million each day to randomly selected people who sign his online petition pledging to support the First and Second amendments of the US Constitution, which protect the rights to free speech and gun ownership.
The petition is only open to signatories who are registered voters in seven battleground states likely to decide the presidential election.
The petition falls into a gray area of election law, and legal experts are divided about whether Musk could be running afoul of prohibitions on paying people to register to vote. Critics say it is a ploy to help drum up support for Trump.
America PAC has been publishing promotional video interviews and photos of people who have won the $1 million giveaways on Musk’s X, where they garner millions of views. Petition signers need to provide their address and cellphone number, suggesting they could then be contacted by America PAC door-knockers.
However, the Justice Department has sent a letter to America PAC, warning that these giveaways may violate federal law, as reported by CNN on Wednesday. The petition falls into a gray area of election law, and legal experts are divided on whether Musk could be violating prohibitions on paying people to register to vote. America PAC has not responded to requests for comment regarding the letter.
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