A political action committee backed by Elon Musk is reportedly under investigation by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office amid its efforts to collect voter data.
MICHIGAN—State officials are probing a political action committee affiliated with billionaire Elon Musk after it was found to have been collecting detailed voter information from Michiganders ahead of the upcoming presidential election, according to new reports from CNBC.
“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 spokeswoman for the Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office told CNBC.
Musk—the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX who has a net worth of over $225 billion—reportedly created and helped fund the America PAC, which is supporting ex-President Donald Trump.
According to reports from CNBC, the committee has been acquiring voter information from Michiganders (and people in other battleground states) after they submit their personal data through a section on the PAC’s website that says “register to vote.” After clicking the tab, however, voters were not redirected to any valid state voter registration forms, CNBC reports.
“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,” the spokeswoman added.
CNBC first reported on the group’s efforts and how the website does not actually directly register people to vote for those with an address in a swing state. As of Monday morning, the section of the website that collects voter data appears to have been removed from the website.
It’s unclear if any laws in Michigan have been broken by the America PAC. Nessel’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The ‘Gander on Monday morning.
In a statement provided to The ‘Gander, a spokesperson for Benson’s office also encouraged Michiganders to verify any voting or election-related information with official sources.
This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
READ MORE: Benson talks election protections and defending democracy in 2024
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