Musk tests the role of money in U.S. politics with multimillion-dollar effort to back Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — Next week’s statesmanlike predetermination isn’t conscionable a referendum connected Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. It’s besides a measurement of nan power nan world’s richest man wields complete American democracy.

Elon Musk, nan South African-born tech and business titan, has spent astatine slightest $119 cardinal mobilizing Trump’s supporters to backmost nan Republican nominee. His societal media platform, X, has go a firehose of pro-Trump propaganda. And he’s playing a starring domiciled successful Trump-style rallies successful captious battleground states.

All nan while, he’s coming nether increasing scrutiny. He skipped a hearing connected Thursday successful a suit complete his effort to dole retired millions of dollars to registered voters, a giveaway ineligible experts liken to ballot buying. He’s being investigated by nan Securities and Exchange Commission. And The Wall Street Journal precocious reported that Musk regularly communicates pinch Russian President Vladimir Putin, a imaginable nationalist information consequence because SpaceX, his aerospace company, holds billions of dollars worthy of contracts pinch NASA and nan Department of Defense.

Musk is hardly nan only personification whose megawealth places him astatine nan nexus of politics, business and overseas policy. But fewer are moving truthful publically for a azygous campaigner arsenic Musk, whose expansive business ties and increasing bravado airs a vexing trial of 1 unelected person’s governmental power. His stature is possibly 1 of nan astir tangible consequence of nan Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, which eliminated galore limits connected governmental giving.

“This is decidedly an predetermination brought to you by Citizens United,” said Daniel I. Weiner, nan head of elections and authorities astatine nan Brennan Center for Justice, who added that nan arena was bigger that conscionable Musk. “What this is really astir is simply a translator of our run finance strategy to 1 successful which nan wealthiest donors are playing a cardinal role.”

Musk did not respond to a petition for remark made done his attorney. Tesla, his electrical car company, and X did not respond to inquiries. SpaceX disputed parts of The Journal’s reporting successful a connection and said it continues to activity successful “close business pinch nan U.S. Government.”

Musk’s caller conversion to ‘Dark MAGA’

Musk’s conversion to a self-described “Dark MAGA” Trump warrior is simply a caller one. In nan past, he donated humble sums to some Republicans and Democrats, including $5,000 to Hillary Clinton successful 2016, records show. He didn’t lend to Trump’s governmental efforts until this year, according to national run finance disclosures.

He was each successful erstwhile he did.

Musk is now starring America PAC, a ace governmental action committee that is spearheading Trump’s get-out-the-vote effort. As a newcomer to politics, location person been increasing pains.

Over nan summer, America PAC struggled to scope its elector interaction goals. Musk brought successful a caller squad of governmental consultants, Generra Peck and Phil Cox, who worked connected Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ’ losing Republican statesmanlike superior bid.

On paper, nan numbers person improved. But Republican officials, operatives and activists opportunity successful immoderate captious places it’s been difficult to show really progressive nan PAC’s crushed effort has been.

The PAC’s beingness is not perceptible successful agrarian Georgia, according to 3 Republican strategists who are intimately monitoring nan crushed crippled successful nan battleground state. For example, America PAC has shown small grounds of leaving lit down connected doorsteps, arsenic is communal erstwhile a elector is not home, particularly successful distant places, nan 3 group said.

There are besides indicators Musk, a tech innovator, has been taken advantage of astatine his ain game. In Nevada, 3 different group acquainted pinch America PAC’s efforts said hired canvassers paid tech-savvy operatives to digitally manipulate an app utilized to way their advancement — appearing to falsify their information truthful they could get paid for activity that they did not do. Canvassers are typically paid by nan number of doors that they sound on.

There are signs nan believe wasn’t constricted to Nevada. One personification warned America PAC activity weeks agone that canvasing information from aggregate states showed signs that it had been falsified, but their concerns were not acted on, according to 2 group pinch knowledge of nan matter.

The individuals, for illustration others who provided specifications astir Musk’s governmental operation, insisted connected anonymity to talk nan matter retired of fearfulness of retribution.

Musk has go disappointment pinch his PAC

Musk has go disappointment pinch nan soul workings of his governmental statement and has brought successful backstage assemblage associates, including Steve Davis, president of nan Boring company, Musk’s passageway building company, according to 3 group pinch knowledge of nan move. Davis’ domiciled pinch America PAC was first reported by The New York Times.

A personification adjacent to nan PAC disputed that nan group had been taken advantage of, suggesting it was a conspiracy mentation based connected a mediocre knowing of really governmental canvassing works. The personification insisted connected anonymity because they were not authorized to publically talk nan innerworkings of nan PAC.

Musk has much riding connected nan predetermination than conscionable bragging rights.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nan main agency that regulates Tesla, has many times proved to beryllium a thorn for nan electrical car shaper tally by Musk, which is nan superior root of his wealth. The agency is overseeing much than a twelve recalls, immoderate that Tesla resisted. It has besides opened investigations that person raised doubts astir Musk’s claims that Tesla is adjacent to deploying self-driving vehicles, a cardinal anticipation of shareholders and a awesome driver of Tesla’s lofty stock price.

Earlier this twelvemonth Tesla disclosed that nan Department of Justice and nan SEC person requested and subpoenaed accusation astir “Full Self-Driving” capability, conveyance functionality, information privateness and different matters.

The societal media level X is different Musk institution that has drawn liking of nan Biden administration. The Federal Trade Commission has probed Musk’s handling of delicate user information aft he took power of nan institution successful 2022, but has not brought enforcement action. The SEC has an ongoing investigation of Musk’s acquisition of nan societal media company.

Many of these troubles, which Musk blames President Joe Biden and Democrats for, could spell distant if Trump is elected. The erstwhile president has mused that Musk could person a general domiciled successful a early Trump management that focuses connected authorities ratio — an tremendous conflict of liking fixed Musk’s companies immense dealings pinch nan government.

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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa, and Krisher reported from Detroit. Associated Press writers Alan Suderman successful Richmond, Virginia, Barbara Ortutay successful San Francisco and Mike Catalini successful Morrisville, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.