Additional Coverage:
- Elon Musk sued by swing states voters who claim Tesla CEO did not pay out on $100 promise (irishstar.com)
Swing-State Voters Sue Elon Musk’s America PAC for Alleged Unpaid Petition Signatures
Three voters from key swing states have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and his America PAC, alleging that the organization failed to pay them for collecting signatures on a political petition. The lawsuit stems from a pre-election initiative in which the PAC promised to pay individuals $47, later increased to $100, for signing a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments, and for recruiting additional signatories.
The plaintiffs claim the PAC reneged on its promise, leaving numerous participants unpaid. Their lawyers anticipate over 100 individuals will join the class-action lawsuit, seeking over $5 million in total compensation. Shannon Liss-Riordan, representing the plaintiffs, stated, “This case is about a broken promise… Our clients relied on that promise because they believed in Elon, but unfortunately, that promise was not kept.”
This lawsuit follows a similar case filed in April by a Pennsylvania man who claims the PAC owes him $20,000 for gathered signatures.
During the election cycle, Musk reportedly pledged to distribute $1 million per day to petition signers throughout October, in addition to the individual $100 payments. The PAC claimed to have made at least one $1 million payment in October. A similar tactic was employed in Wisconsin’s March special election, where two voters received $1 million checks and were designated as party spokespersons.
Despite significant financial contributions, including $20 million to support a conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate, the candidate lost the election. These practices have raised concerns among politicians and legal experts, who question the legality of such pre-election financial incentives.