A political action committee backed by billionaire Elon Musk is under investigation in Michigan for possible violations of state laws, a spokesman for the Michigan secretary of state’s office said in a statement Sunday.
Tesla (NASDAQ:) CEO Elon Musk previously said he had created a political action committee focused on supporting candidates but had not pledged anything to anyone.
CNBC previously reported that a Musk-backed political action committee obtained detailed voter information from residents of Michigan and other states after people submitted their personal information through a section on the committee’s website that said “register to vote.”
“Although the USAPAC is a federal political action committee, the Department is reviewing its activities to determine whether there are any violations of state law. We will refer potential violations to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office as appropriate,” a spokesperson for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement to Reuters.
“Every citizen should know exactly how their personal information is being used by political action committees, especially if they claim to help people register to vote in Michigan or any other state,” a Michigan Department of State spokesperson said in an email to Reuters.
The Michigan Department of State is in the early stages of investigating the situation and cannot confirm whether the focus is on any specific aspect at this time, the spokesperson added.
The Michigan attorney general’s office and the PAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Musk could not immediately be reached for comment.
Musk, the world’s richest man, has publicly endorsed Donald Trump in the US presidential race.
In recent years, Musk has espoused right-wing views, becoming a fierce critic of Biden’s diversity initiatives and immigration policies, and complaining that Democrats have shown “extreme disregard” for Tesla and his rocket company SpaceX.