Elon Musk is offering $1 million a day to registered voters in Pennsylvania who sign his MAGA petition. During a Sunday morning visit to “Meet the Press,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro suggested that the unorthodox GOTV operation for Donald Trump could be an illegal attempt to buy votes.

Host Kristen Welker asked Shapiro if he thought Musk’s plan, which randomly gives $1 million to a petition recipient while promising money to Pennsylvania voters who recommend others to sign his petition in support of Trump, was legal.

“There are real questions about how he’s spending money in this race, when dark money is pouring in,” Shapiro said. “When you start throwing that kind of money into politics, I think it raises some serious questions that people might want to look at.”

twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1848001403584725506

Shapiro didn’t go so far as to say Musk’s actions were illegal. He deferred to Pennsylvania law enforcement for final judgment, but noted that Musk’s actions did not appear 100% legitimate.

“I think it’s something that law enforcement could look into. I am no longer the Attorney General of Pennsylvania. I’m the governor, but this raises serious questions,” Shapiro said.

The former attorney general and current governor is not the only one with suspicions. Legal scholar Rick Hasen noted Saturday that the project was “clearly illegal.”

Hasen, a UCLA law professor, explained in an article on Election Law Blog that “some of the other things Musk was doing were murky legal,” but that the $1 million offer is downright illegal .

Citing a federal law making it a crime for someone to “pay…either to register to vote or to vote” and a Justice Department clarification that “lottery odds” count as payment , Hasen claimed that Musk’s promise was akin to a bribe to vote. in the eyes of the law.

“I would like to know if there is anyone who thinks that this is not a clear case of violation,” Hasen wrote.

The scheme is just one example of the world’s richest man, the beneficiary of billions of dollars a year in federal contracts, using his wealth to steer the race toward Trump. Musk also offers residents of other swing states $47 each to entice voters to sign his petition, and spends millions on hyper-targeted and often misleading ads to influence turnout.