'Trump Support' Musk Super PAC Investigated for Possible State Law Violations

Controversy Over Collection of Voter Names, Ages, and Addresses in Swing States
"Unclear Whether Michigan Law Is Violated," Critics Point Out

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has been revealed to have a super PAC (political action committee) created to support former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump under investigation by the state judicial authorities for potential legal violations.

On the 4th (local time), a spokesperson for the Michigan Secretary of State's office told CNBC and others, "'America PAC,' (Musk's) is a federal political action committee (PAC), but our department has begun a review to determine if there have been any violations of state law," adding, "If necessary, we will refer any violations to the Michigan Attorney General's office." America PAC is a super PAC created by CEO Musk to support former President Trump.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The issue at hand concerns America PAC's collection of voter personal information. Previously, CNBC reported that America PAC operates a website under the pretext of helping U.S. citizens register to vote, but in reality, it collects detailed personal information of voters in seven battleground states that will determine the outcome of the U.S. presidential election this November.

In particular, when residents from 'safe states' such as California or Wyoming, where a specific party enjoys overwhelming support, use the service, they only need to enter their email and zip code briefly before quickly being redirected to their state's voter registration page. However, residents of battleground states like Pennsylvania or Georgia are required to provide very detailed personal information such as address, phone number, and age.

Brendan Fisher, Deputy Director of the election finance watchdog Documented, stated, "America PAC is focusing on door-to-door campaigning for Trump," and noted, "It is reasonable to assume that voter data collected digitally is used for America PAC's election campaigns and other political activities." According to the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC), since June, America PAC has spent over $21 million on campaigning via texts, calls, and media.

A spokesperson for the Michigan Secretary of State's office emphasized, "Every citizen should know exactly how their personal information is used by PACs," adding, "Particular caution should be exercised with PACs that promote helping citizens register to vote."

However, experts explain that it is currently unclear which Michigan state laws America PAC may have violated. Barbara McQuade, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said, "It is not confirmed what laws (America PAC) may have broken."

Meanwhile, CEO Musk announced on the same day that his neurotechnology startup Neuralink has successfully implanted a computer chip into the brain of a second patient. Neuralink has been developing brain-computer interface (BCI) technology that implants devices into the brain to enable people with physical disabilities who cannot use their limbs to control various devices.