The Justice Department warned Elon Musk that his $1 million giveaway could come with a prison sentenceāand it appears heās actually paying attention.
After receiving a warning from the Justice Department, Elon Musk has stopped his $1 million giveaway to swing voters from his super PAC.
The tech CEO pledgedĀ SaturdayĀ to give away the hefty sum each day to one registered voter in a battleground state who signed America PACās proāFirst and Second Amendment pledge. Every day since then, a winner has beenĀ announced: three Pennsylvania voters and one North Carolina voter.
However, the move immediately raised legal questions, as itās a federal crime to pay someone to register to vote, punishable by a fine of $10,000, five years in prison, or both. Experts were divided, with Muskās plan falling into a legalĀ gray areaĀ at best. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called the move ādeeply concerning,ā and author Stephen King accused Musk of āpaying to register Republicans.ā
Does it say that in the law code? I thought that being ignorant of the law doesnāt matter for most prosecutions (āignorantia juris non excusatā)
Not by law, but itās just like first time offenders or cooperating defendants or guilty pleas often getting lighter sentences.
They could still throw the book at you, as they do at times, but itās not a guaranteed success.