Elon Musk Veers Into Clearly Illegal Vote Buying, Offering $1 Million Per Day Lottery Prize Only to Registered Voters

silence7@slrpnk.net to politics @lemmy.world – 657 points –
electionlawblog.org
104

Blatantly illegal.

But Biden won't step up and make Garland do his job.

Just throw it on top of the giant piles of reason "not trump" isn't enough to fight fascism.

We need people actually willing and able to fight, best case scenario for Biden is he's only one of those things.

And as president, he's clearly able to direct the DOJ, if he believes he shouldn't be able, that makes him unwilling to fight fascism.

musk is all in. He either goes to prison or trump wins.

I'm sure investigation starts immediately, but it won't get results until after the election.

What investigation is needed?

There's no way this is legal, it's what "blatantly illegal" means.

Like, if someone stripped naked, got a full automatic gun and walked around the White House busting off caps, it's "blatantly illegal" no investigation needs to be done.

This isn't like Musk went home and put pants on, he's still running around literally everyday till the election doing this.

You stop the person from committing the crime, and lock them up if there's reasonable suspicion they'll keep committing crimes.

Then when you've stopped more crimes from happening, you investigate the crimes that already blatantly happened, as well as looking for others.

Are you suggesting to lock musk up for up to a year without a jury convicting him? For an illegal lottery.

That rich people be held to the law???!!!!!

Reginald! Get the fainting couch, I need to go get my pearls so I may clutch them

No, just a fair trial for everyone.

I hate musk more than most and want to see him pay for his crimes, but arresting him for an illegal lottery, that's possibly a sweep stake, is out of the realm of what I believe in. What the user suggested sounds very fascist to me.

I'm glad you guys aren't in charge

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People have gone to prison for less

Honestly, it sounds so bad it would proof the trump campaign right.

This is nothing compared to what many other African Americans have endured; what makes Musk so different?

I'm wondering if people are confused about your comment because they are missing the fact that Musk is literally an African American (American now, originally from Africa).

Right about what, exactly? You do know this is a random person talking out of their ass on the internet about how they want the justice system to work, not reality.

Have no fear, there would be an investigation and a jury and conviction before Musk is behind bars (LOL JUST KIDDING, Musk is rich and will never face consequences)

Right about the radical left wanting to imprison political opponents. Without due process

Over an illegal lottery that could be argued to be a sweep

"But your honor, it could be argued those 47 people merely TRIPPED into my knife over and over. "

He stole a cigarette

Death sentence!

What does this have to do with holding someone for a year before prosecution? I thought we were all assumed innocent until proven guilty, unless those cops really are bastards omgg!

So you wish what you criticise, as long as it hits the right people.

Extremists gonna extremist

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Jail and prison are 2 different things. You are held in jail, and may be able to be let out on bond depending on the charges against you, while you wait to receive your due process. You are not held in a prison until you are sentenced by a judge, following a conviction by a jury.

If your due process is violated and you are imprisoned without conviction, guess who would probably be interested in taking your case? Probably the ACLU.

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You know, they do that to people every single day.

They hold people (remanded into custody) until a trial if they are a threat to the public.

They do it even if they're not a threat to the public. Some people wait years for a trial for trivial bullshit like weed possession.

I know if Bill Gates was giving Democrat voters money the Republicans would spontaneously combust with rage

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musk is all in. He either goes to prison or trump wins.

If trump has proven anything, it's that wealthy Republicans can get away with literally anything in this country. Musk isn't going to prison, and I doubt he'll even see a courtroom over this.

Seriously... Trump staged a literal insurrection and is the top presidential candidate. They think Musk is going away for some voter bribery?

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Just curious, why do you think Biden has to do anything? There's teams of people in charge of enforcing laws that don't need the president to tell them what to do. A CEO doesn't tell everyone under him what to do. He just expects them to do their job to the best they're able.

Because I know who Merrick Garland is and have observed his behavior over the last four years?

It's legit one of the few areas I agree with Biden:

In recent weeks, President Biden has grumbled to aides and advisers that had Garland moved sooner in his investigation into former President Donald Trump’s election interference, a trial may already be underway or even have concluded, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss private matters. That trial still could take place before the election and much of the delay is owed not to Garland but to deliberate resistance put up by the former president and his team.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/09/white-house-frustration-with-garland-grows-00140813

Although I disagree with Biden on his path forward. Rather than replace Garland, his plan is to grumble to aids and adversers that Garland doesn't do what he wants, I believe Biden should have never appointed him in the first, and can offer no plausible explanation for why he hasn't been replaced other Biden is (say it with me) unwilling to fight fascism as hard as it needs to be fought.

Who would you replace him with?

What?

You want me to drop a specific name?

If you really want me to I can look at the DOJ top chain of command and find at least one that seems willing to do their job if you really wanted, but I'm not sure why you'd expect me to have a list of candidate prepared for you.

Do you want me to see if they have time for mock interviews too?

I could name drop it's for you if you think it'll help, but frankly I'm worried no one will reach back out...

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The best part about this is that unlike a lot of the other illegal shit his PACs are doing, Musk can't separate himself from it and say he wasn't personally involved. He personally handed out the giant check.

If Harris wins, and if her administration actually decides to crack down on this shit, Musk could end up behind bars. I'm not holding my breath, but it's a still a pleasant thought.

The first rally he came out for trump, he flat out said "if trump loses I'm fucked".

It's logical to assume if he's being this blatant because even a little digging would show obvious crimes.

He's already fucked, he has no other option than to double down with blantant shit.

All the more reason to act now, the election is in two weeks, but if looking into this gets a head start to find some shady shit before January...

Well, it's probably all hypothetical, Biden wouldn't have the balls to do anything.

That's what you get when you nominate someone because he "has been able to work with Republicans his whole career"

That wasn't why he was given the nomination, it was the excuse given for why it had to be Biden.

Like, I have a very low opinion about the intelligence of the people running the dnc...

But they couldn't be stupid enough to believe that shit, even if Biden honestly did.

It’s logical to assume if he’s being this blatant because even a little digging would show obvious crimes.

Are you saying that he'll be expected to go to jail if Harris wins? I think you just made my day.

Well, it’s probably all hypothetical, Biden wouldn’t have the balls to do anything.

Biden was never a tough-as-nails prosecutor. But this is how Harris made her name, so there's every reason to expect she's do things differently after Jan 20.

Elon Musk and promising people money you'll never actually pay out. Name a more iconic duo

Merrick Garland & fecklessness?

Remember: the reason Garland got nominated for SCOTUS in the first place was that he was so conservative Obama figured Mitch McConnell couldn't possibly object to him.

Merrick garland was actually recommended by one of the senate GOP members, Grassely, who headed up the senate judicial commitee. He said Garland would be "reasonable" choice that Obama would never nominate.

So Obama nominated him to make a point, and the Senate tsk tsked anyway and refused to fill the seat for the first time in its history.

Donald Trump and promising people money you'll never actually pay out.

If Mike Lindell is any indicator, maybe this is a good thing.

Donald Trump, such a great candidate that you have to pay people and offer them cash prizes to get people to vote for him...

That's the message here.

Put him behind bars for that and I start believing that the government takes this vote seriously.

I'm going to lower the bar:

If the government issues any sort of indictment in the next 3 weeks, I'll agree that they are taking it seriously. Even without bail.

Though maybe some of the other things Musk was doing were of murky legality, this one is clearly illegal. See 52 U.S.C. 10307(c): “Whoever knowingly or willfully gives false information as to his name, address or period of residence in the voting district for the purpose of establishing his eligibility to register or vote, or conspires with another individual for the purpose of encouraging his false registration to vote or illegal voting, or pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or for voting shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both…” (Emphasis added.)

I mean, if it’s clearly illegal then can we, you know, apply the law?

checks Musk's net worth

....

No.

Can we "eat" him then? Make it a big ol dinner party everyone invited.

... shall be fined not more than $10,000 ...

Pocket change.

Make him pay it for each entrant. It’s probably still pocket change because a hundred billion dollars (or whatever it is now) is effectively infinite money.

Sometimes the depth of the hole we’ve dug ourselves is just astounding.

The worst part is, he isn't even American. Imagine if Americans would go into a foreign country and try to influence the elections... Oh wait.

What's stopping people from applying to his "lottery" and just not voting Trump?

Apparently nothing. I live in PA and want to sign up, but I really don't want Musk to have my email or phone number or home address.

Understandable. I'd greatly consider it (if I didn't already turn in my mail-in ballot, and he offered to California) but the idea alone that I'd be giving my private info to "I am a massive fascist and enabler and funder of them" just so I can grift a grifter.

But the simple fact that even if I could give them what they demanded for payment, they would probably see a disabled, queer, poor person and go "Oh, well, you're one of them so... Face the wall."

I'd rather be a poverty-trapped queer in a red county as I am now, than sell my morals for money. That's what people with the moral backbone of a chocolate eclair do.

As if he didn't already have them

Use a throwaway email, drop it as soon as the promotion is over

Stupid rich people trying to take advantage of 'stupid' poor people.

Stupid rich people taking advantage of the flaws in American law enforcement and of the American judiciary system

Cut out the media advertisers, bribe voters directly. Progress.

“Illegal” is just a joke at this point

Has been for centuries. Rules rarely applied to the leaders of Rome or China, as soon as someone noticed the trend, it was the end of those governments until it was time to reform and try again.

If you have enough money to have sway in your community or kingdom, you have enough money to start asking for favors and benefits. "I'll give you this land, you give me something later." "If I can guarantee enough grain for the next month, I can get a guarantee from you soon."

You put someone into any power over others, someone wants that power, and some people are willing to do anything for that power.

Everyone talking about how illegal this is but I doubt it is. It does not say you have a vote a certain way. You just have to be a voter and sign his petition to be eligible.

Legal eagle has a video spelling out which laws are broken. Note that there are specific laws against paying people to vote

The comment is almost illegible. Funny!

Putin rubbing his fingers with glee rn. If this doesn't get prosecuted, I know what he'd do.

This immoral prick continues to push my Stoic practise to its limit.

Rich people feel like they can do anything they want and usually the law lets them do so. I hope he faces some type of punishment for this.

You can't buy popularity, Elon. Ask your buddy Donald

You really want him to ask his buddy who took his popularity from a reality show and parlayed it into the Presidency , and might just do it again?

If this is illegal, does that mean Cards Against Humanity's recent voting stunt is also? Edit: thanks for the drive-by down vote, it really doesn't help the discourse. I'm mainly wondering if CAH has opened themselves up to a bunch of legal liability.

Hate that I'm writing something that defends Garland a bit but arresting Musk two weeks before the election could be a huge backfire.

Musk isn't running.... You can't give famous or wealthy supporters legal immunity just because they're famous and wealthy and vocally support one side or the other.

...so yes, you should hate yourself for trying to make that defacto case.

What a Bunch of nonsense. You'd rather have a hissy fit and turn thenarrative into charging the world's wealthiest man, thus supporting Trump's weaponization of DOJ rhetoric than wait for a couple of weeks. Guess you were never spanked as a child.

You watch something blatantly illegal and not even in a moral grey area going on and your take away is that stopping it would be wrong?

What are your values?

A lot of people think if two groups disagree then just picking the middle makes them better than either, likely because it may make the two sides court them so they feel important. Which would explain the pro-spanking stance too. The people who fall into that were often attention starved as children and view any attention as a positive.

So when you get full blown fascism on one side, and ineffectual pro-corproate neoliberalism on the other...

Those people may very well say that the correct path is in-between the two.

In this case letting a billionaire buy an election for the fascist and then honestly say with a straight face:

arresting Musk two weeks before the election could be a huge backfire.

Like if one mob wanted to burn their house down, and another mob wanted to burn half, they'd pat themselves on the back for "negotiating" to have 75% of their own house burnt down, and declare everyone has to be satisfied because it's a compromise.

My takeaway is doing something about it before the election is probably a mistake. It has to do with reality, not values.

Reality is such a practice encourages Trump and Musk to keep compounding illegal acts to win.

What a Bunch of nonsense.

What is the nonsense and why are you bringing up child abuse like it helps people?

Musk is actively doing damage and blatantly breaking the law...

And you think the best plan is to ignore it till after the election, completely ignoring this is targeted at battleground states in a tight election?

Like, did you see how long it took to hold people accountable after 1/6?

What's important is stopping it now with an injunction.

Pro Tip: One thing about spanking a child having a hissy fit, they learn they seldom pay off.:

No they don't.

They learn that pain is a valid motivator and consequences only come from being caught.

They don't learn to follow rules.

Like, it's 2024, this has been widely studied....

Did nobody tell you? I have a degree in psychology so maybe my expectations are too high, but you're honestly the first person I've seen in at least the last decade say child abuse is an effective strategy

Your inconsistency is that you thought my comment was a hissyfit, and needed your tough and immediate response, but you don't think someone illegally interfering with an election is a hissyfit, or needs an immediate response.

You'd prefer that this election interference be allowed to happen, be left to effect the election... And only be addressed later - after the election has been interfered with.

You want to walk on eggshells because you're scared of what your abusers might do. It's battered woman syndrome (no it's not gendered happens to lots of people, particularly kids).

The desire to stay quiet or not make trouble out of fear of what might happen if you speak up, or get outside help.

Might explain your focus on corporal punishment, maybe you've seen stuff like this happen on a personal level.

You seem like you're in a bad place. Try to focus on the good things in life, things that make you happy, and make you want to move forward and keep going.

maybe they weren't, since not spanking children leads to better outcomes for them. Emotionally and cognitively.

Researchers are also finding that physical punishment is linked to slower cognitive development and adversely affects academic achievement

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3447048/

But if he was selling loose cigarettes on an NYC street...