Eau Claire man wins Elon Musk’s $1M voter sweepstakes which may violate election law

A man from Eau Claire has reportedly won $1 million from the tech billionaire Elon Musk as part of a giveaway tied to the presidential election that the U.S. Department of Justice has warned may violate federal election law.

Musk, who owns the social media website X, has been giving away the money to random winners selected from entrants who live in swing states, register to vote, and sign a petition to support the First and Second Amendment.  

It is illegal to pay people to register to vote. Musk, who is an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, has said the giveaways do not require people to register with any particular party, or even to cast a ballot.

The Eau Claire winner, whose name and picture was shared on X, could not be reached for comment.

The giveaway is run by Musk’s political action committee, America PAC. According to CNN, the DOJ sent the group a letter warning that the sweepstakes may violate federal law.