Musk-backed PAC under investigation for potential violations of Michigan laws

[August 05, 2024]  (Reuters) -A political action committee backed by billionaire Elon Musk is under investigation in Michigan for possible violations of state laws, a spokesperson for the Michigan secretary of state's office said in a statement on Sunday.  

Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

Tesla CEO Musk has previously said he did create a PAC focused on supporting candidates but has not pledged anything to anyone.

The Musk-backed America PAC has been acquiring detailed voter information from those living in Michigan and other states after people have submitted their personal data through a section on the PAC's website that says "register to vote," CNBC reported earlier.

"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," a spokesperson for Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's secretary of state, said in a statement to Reuters.

"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 spokesperson for the Michigan Department of State said in an email to Reuters.

The Michigan Department of State is currently in the early stages of investigating the situation and cannot confirm if the focus is on any specific aspect at this time, the spokesperson added.

The Michigan Attorney General's office and America PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Musk could not be immediately reached for comment.

Musk, the world's richest person, has publicly endorsed Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race.

In the last few years, Musk has espoused right-wing views, becoming a fierce critic of diversity initiatives, Biden's immigration policies and has complained that Democrats had given a "very cold shoulder" to Tesla and his rocket company, SpaceX.

(Reporting by Gursimran Kaur and Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru, Additional reporting by Surbhi Misra; Editing by Mark Porter and Himani Sarkar)

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