Justice Department warns Musk’s PAC that $1M voter giveaway could be….see more

The Justice Department has sent a letter to tech billionaire Elon Musk’s super PAC, America PAC, warning that its $1 million daily giveaway in battleground states may run afoul of federal law, a source familiar with the matter said.

The letter, which was reported earlier by CNN, came from the department’s Public Integrity Section, the source said. That section handles election-related prosecutions and related cases.

The Justice Department declined to comment, and the super PAC’s treasurer did not immediately reply to a voicemail message requesting comment.

Pressure has been mounting on state and federal authorities to investigate Musk’s lottery as a potential violation of election laws, including a ban on paying people to register to vote. On Monday, a group of ex-prosecutors and other former government officials sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting an investigation.

It’s unclear when the letter went out or what further action, if any, the Justice Department might take.

Legal experts have told NBC News that they believe Musk’s contest falls into a legal gray area and could violate election law, but not necessarily.

I can see what people are saying when they argue this violates the law, but I don’t think it does,” said Matthew Sanderson, an election law expert who has worked with Republicans and is an NBC News consultant.

On Tuesday, A source familiar with the efforts of America PAC said, “The PAC is confident in the legality of this initiative.