States Investigating Pro-Trump PAC Supported by Musk

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AUG 5 2024

Above: Elon Musk attends 'Exploring the New Frontiers of Innovation: Mark Read in Conversation with Elon Musk' session during the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity 2024 - Day Three on June 19, 2024 in Cannes, France. Image copyright: Marc Piasecki/Contributor/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Imagesstory last updated AUG 6 2024

The Facts

North Carolina's Attorney General and Michigan's Secretary of State have said they're investigating a political action committee created by Elon Musk to support 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Michigan Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson's office said they're probing America PAC, which is registered in several swing states, "to determine if there have been any violations of state law," particularly related to the collection of personal data.
At issue is a tab on the PAC's website that prompts visitors to click to register to vote. Government officials claim that, while the link redirects users from non-competitive states to official government registration websites, those from swing states are never redirected after providing their personal information.

The Spin

Democratic narrative

Nothing should frighten Americans more than a group of billionaire tech executives using people's private data to help another billionaire run for president. This case is clear-cut, as website visitors from non-swing states were directed to official registration websites, but those in swing states were only asked to provide their name, address, and age.

The New Republic

Republican narrative

Left-wing politicians and media outlets are hell-bent on smearing Musk because he's virtually the only tech mogul to publicly support Trump. While Musk faces newspaper hit pieces and literal government investigations, his left-wing counterparts in Silicon Valley are free to ban images of Trump from Facebook and censor the Trump assassination attempt from Google searches.

PJ Media