this post was submitted on 25 Oct 2024
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The Justice Department warned Elon Musk that his $1 million giveaway could come with a prison sentence—and it appears he’s 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 pledged Saturday to give away the hefty sum each day to one registered voter in a battleground state who signed America PAC’s pro–First and Second Amendment pledge. Every day since then, a winner has been announced: three Pennsylvania voters and one North Carolina voter. 

However, the move immediately raised legal questions, as it’s 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 Musk’s plan falling into a legal gray area at best. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called the move “deeply concerning,” and author Stephen King accused Musk of “paying to register Republicans.”

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

"Elon Musk sure seems... Dumb..."

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)
[–] [email protected] 50 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Wish the rest of us got warnings when we break laws

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago

"When you're a billionaire, they let you do. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the judiciary."

[–] [email protected] 31 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

He ain't scared of shit. At the end of the day he's so rich he could murder someone in broad daylight with multiple witnesses and still walkl a free man.

In America money buys freedom

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

It doesn't only buy your freedom, it buys other people's freedom away from them too

[–] [email protected] 61 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Bingo, the wording of what he’s giving it away for has nothing to do with registering to vote. It is about signing his PAC if you are already registered to vote. If you yourself determine that voting would be a reason to register and you also sign his PAC well, then you get $1 million. There’s nothing illegal about that and Elon only got a warning, if it was something illegal, he would’ve been arrested for already doing it before, they issued that “warning”.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

From what I've been reading, it's so close to vote buying and similar crimes it's a legal grey area at best.

[–] [email protected] 72 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

if it's illegal, just sue his ass already. you dont send warning to ordianry people who breaches the law right? at this point i have to say i'll be happy if musk would continue the lottery, slapping a giant F word in the DOJ's face.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

The grey area is that he uses the petition as a strawman. The DOJ will need to prove it is a strawman. At the same time the petition works as a filter to only attract republicans and put off democrats.

I agree this should be persecuted but there is enough mud in the water for a drawn out trial and finally the criminals in SCOTUS to rule it acceptable.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

You send a warning and if they don't follow it you can now apply for a harsher sentence.

If you skip the warning you might win still, but you'll have a harder time getting the harshest punishment.

They could still charge him post warning even if he'd stopped, but then it looks like he cooperated and will probably not get the harshest punishment.

Harshest punishment requires the warning and ignoring of it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Harshest punishment requires the warning and ignoring of it.

Does it say that in the law code? I thought that being ignorant of the law doesn't matter for most prosecutions ("ignorantia juris non excusat")

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Not by law, but it's 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 it's not a guaranteed success.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 3 weeks ago

Got any more of them "warnings" for regular people?

[–] [email protected] 43 points 3 weeks ago

"Oh no. I got all the benefits I was after and now I can skip out on paying people a million dollars a day and blame the Democrat's for not doing it. Wah"

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

He's rich! Nothing is going to happen.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 weeks ago

I'd like to see him get arrested and then see how scared he is. This warning seems like the same strongly-worded letter all these rich assholes get.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

$10,000 fine on a $1,000,000 lottery is just a 1% tax. I'm surprised he even bothered to notice.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

I'm assuming there's an additional risk of having to step down from any company he owns with federal contracts as well.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It was probably the 5 years in prison part that he cares about

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If he stops it now, he's not going to see prison or pay a dime...

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Even if he doesn't stop it now, he’s not going to see prison or pay a dime…

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'd even say the government is gonna give him some more money

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Of course. If they don't the communists win.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 3 weeks ago

Breaks law by using his wealth to sway the results of an election. Gets a warning.

I really do believe what Trump said about shooting a man and not losing any votes… except he would also walk away with a warning not to do it again.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 3 weeks ago

Deport him back to SA

[–] [email protected] 104 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Well he already broke the law. Jail him.

[–] [email protected] 73 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Sorry he is too wealthy for that. Best they can do is politely warn him.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

It seeming like we need some sort of working people's militia. A vigilante group that actually holds billionaires just as accountable as us.

Put these mother fuckers in jail until their court date just like us.

Set their bail proportional to their wealth. If I get $10,000 bail he gets a $10,000,000,000 dollar bail.

What if we citizens-arrest these people? Isn't that our duty?

I can find a nice Barn to lock them in until their court date

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Makes one wonder how much wealth it takes, and what other things work the same way.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

We reached out to Jeffrey Epstein for comment.

At the time of this post he has not responded to our inquiry.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The only way to actually be punished as a rich person is to endanger the position of other rich people.

It's the unforgivable sin.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

We reached out to Bernie Madoff for comment...

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Bernie Madoff took money from a LOT of rich people - both directly and indirectly.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago

yeah that's my point. that's why he got sentenced.

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