CNN legal reporter Marshall Cohen on Monday explained why X CEO Elon Musk's scheme to award $1 million every day to registered voters in battleground states could be illegal.
In an interview with CNN's Sara Sidner, Cohen cautioned that he doesn't know for certain whether Musk's $1 million giveaway is illegal, but he said that many election law experts made compelling cases for why it might be.
"I'm not saying Elon Musk is going to be locked up or put on trial anytime soon," Cohen said. "What I am saying is that some respected scholars who study election law for a living saw what Musk did and immediately raised legal objections."
He then explained that the requirement that prize winners be registered voters in battleground states may run afoul of laws that prohibit paying money to people in exchange for registering to vote.
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"If you look at the fine print on Musk's super PAC website, it says you must be a registered voter to sign the petition and you can only win the $1 million if you live in one of the battlegrounds states," Cohen explained.
"And that's the problem. The experts we spoke to said federal law makes it a crime to pay people to register to vote. You can't give the money or a chance to win money through a lottery. Here's what the law specifically says: 'Whoever knowingly or willfully pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or to vote can face up to five years in prison.' That's the law. And legal experts said that musk could be crossing the line, especially for people who heard about that cash prize and then registered to vote."
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