SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed appreciation as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, United States, on July 24, 2024.
Craig Hudson | Reuters
A political action committee backed by billionaire Elon Musk is under investigation by the Michigan Secretary of State’s office for collecting voter data.
Musk, CEO Tesla and SpaceX said he created and helped fund America PAC, which supported former President Donald Trump. According to Forbes, Musk’s net worth exceeds $225 billion.
The committee has been obtaining detailed voter information from voters in Michigan and other battleground states after people submitted their personal information through the “Register to Vote” section of the PAC’s website.
After clicking on the “Register to Vote” tab on America PAC’s website, users in states such as Michigan can submit a zip code, address and phone number. People with a Michigan address will be taken to a page that says “Thank you” and asks users to “fill out the form below” to help with the voter registration process. However, as of Sunday afternoon, there were no other forms to fill out under “Thank you.”
“Every citizen deserves to know exactly how a political action committee uses their personal information, especially if an entity claims it will help people in Michigan or any other state,” a spokesperson for the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office said in a statement. Register to vote.
“While PAC is a federal political action committee, the department is reviewing their activities to determine whether there are any violations of state law. We will refer potential violations to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, where appropriate. ,” the spokesperson added.
CNBC first reported on the group’s efforts and how the site did not directly register people to vote for those with addresses in swing states.
A person with direct knowledge of the PAC’s operations told CNBC that links on the group’s website were functioning normally since the group registered with the Federal Election Commission in May, but now admits that was not the case.
The person explained that the organization plans to launch a new website in the coming weeks. The person declined to be named in order to speak freely about private matters.
A spokesman for American Political Action Committee declined to comment. Musk did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, is Michigan’s secretary of state and the state’s chief elections official. She has been outspoken against election-related misinformation and took action against former President Donald Trump’s comments.
The Republican National Committee has sued Benson and other Michigan Democrats at least twice this year, according to legal records.
It’s unclear whether any laws were violated
It’s unclear whether the American PAC violated any Michigan laws.
Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, doesn’t believe the PAC necessarily violated any state laws. “I am not aware of any laws that were violated,” McQuaid said in an email Sunday.
Mary Massaron, a partner at the law firm Plunkett Cooney, raised concerns in an email to CNBC but did not say whether the PAC violated state law.
“It is extremely troubling that any candidate or PAC-funded project intentionally fails to provide information or a link to register to vote when asked, as they may Vote for the opposition candidate.
