PA Politics: Elon in Pennsylvania and the Power of the Dollar

PA Politics: Elon in Pennsylvania and the Power of the Dollar

Billionaire Elon Musk appeared in Harrisburg on Saturday, Oct. 19, rallying for Donald Trump. Notably, Musk promised to award $1 million each day until the Nov. 5 election date to randomly selected people in battleground states who sign his online petition, with the first prize given to John Dreher of Mechanicsburg. “By the way, John had no idea. So anyway, you’re welcome,” Musk said as he handed over the check.  

The Harrisburg event is the third of many days for Musk in Pennsylvania, as he has been increasingly campaigning for Trump this season after publicly endorsing the candidate in July. Attendees of the event had to sign the petition, which reads: “The First and Second Amendments guarantee the freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing below, I am pledging my support for the First and Second Amendments. In appreciation for your support, you will receive $47 for each registered voter you refer that signs this petition.”  

Questions about the legality of these payments have been raised, as electoral law experts have pointed out several provisions which prohibit making cash payments to voters. It is a federal crime to pay people with the intent of influencing them to vote one way or another or to register to vote, as outlined in 18 U.S. Code § 597 and 52 U.S. Code § 10307, and is punishable with prison time.  

Musk painted the election in stark terms during his speech, saying that if Harris wins on Nov. 5, it will be the last election. “I’m politically active now because I think the future of America and the future of civilization is at stake,” he said.  

Musk’s endorsement of conservative politics is nothing new, as the billionaire has been donating to conservative causes for years. In 2022, Musk spent more than $50 million to fund advertising campaigns by Citizens for Sanity, a Political Action Committee (PAC) that supports rightwing culture war causes.  

Democratic leaders in Pennsylvania have criticized Musk’s endorsement of Trump. “We’ve seen over and over that people will cozy up to Donald Trump to get what they want,” State Rep. Justin Fleming said. “That includes billionaires, that includes dictators, and it’s no surprise that Elon Musk is here for Donald Trump. They’re billionaires who have no idea how to shop for groceries, drive their own cars or do anything that regular, average Pennsylvanians do, and by extension, they won’t have an agenda that regular, average Pennsylvanians can go along with.”  

The money is the latest example of Musk leveraging his wealth to influence the upcoming election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Musk started America PAC, a group founded to support Trump’s presidential campaign. 

America PAC’s activism is the result of a Trump strategy which shares campaigning duties in key battleground regions with groups like Musk’s. America PAC is an example of a Super PAC, a committee that, unlike others, can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on elections, including money from individuals, corporations, labor unions and other PACs, so long as their activity is not directly coordinated with candidates. Although Super PACs are prohibited from contributing money to a candidate’s campaign, the laws defining coordination have glaring loopholes, and most rules go routinely unenforced by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Unsurprisingly, candidates and Super PACS work hand-in-hand, with candidates fundraising for Super PACS, providing them with material to support their campaign and vendors that are familiar with the candidate’s political messages and strategic objectives. 

As the Nov. 5 election date approaches, Musk’s campaigning efforts, both in person and on X, will likely intensify. Ranked by Forbes as the world’s richest person, Musk has already donated at least $75 million to America PAC, according to official federal disclosures, making the organization a critical part of Trump’s election campaign. Musk is the PAC’s only donor. Trump has said he would appoint Musk to head a government efficiency commission if elected, a commission that would audit the federal government.