Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Katie Hawkinson

Trump outsourced door-knocking campaigns in two key states to Musk-backed PAC. Up to 25 percent may have never happened

AFP via Getty Images

Your support helps us to tell the story

Door-knocking data from the Elon Musk-backed America PAC in two key swing states could be fraudulent, a new report reveals.

About 24% of door-knocks in Arizona and 25% of door-knocks in Nevada over the last week by the PAC were flagged under “unusual survey logs” on the Campaign Sidekick canvassing app, which could potentially mean they are fraudulent, The Guardian reports.

Trump is leading Harris by just 2 points in Arizona, while the vice president is ahead one point in Nevada, according to the latest Emerson College poll.

These potentially fraudulent numbers raise concerns about the campaign’s decision to outsource the bulk of its canvassing to PACs, The Guardian reports. The Federal Election Commission allowed campaigns to outsource these efforts to PACs for the first time earlier this year.

Elon Musk campaigns with Donald Trump. Some of the canvassing reported by Musk’s America PAC could be fraudulent in Arizona and Nevada, a new report reveals (AFP via Getty Images)

The America PAC pays $30 per hour for employees who are interested in “working on increasing voter registration and voter turnout,” according to its website. The PAC also pays $47 for registered voter referrals, as long as that voter goes on to sign a “petition pledging support for the First and Second Amendments.”

Musk, founder of the America PAC, is a vocal Trump supporter. The PAC has reportedly spent more than $60 million on the 2024 election cycle, mostly in support of the former president. Musk contributed $75 million to the PAC from July through September.

Musk even attended Trump’s second Butler, Pennsylvania rally earlier this month. The event took place at the same venue as Trump’s first assissination attempt in July.

While there, Trump identified Musk as the person who “saved free speech” and a “rocket builder.” Musk approached Trump in a black “Make America Great Again” baseball cap and an “Occupy Mars” T-shirt, admitting he was “dark MAGA,” a nod to the far-right meme.

Trump has frequently praised Musk on the campaign trail and has even claimed he’d tap Musk to run a government task force to drastically cut spending.

The Independent has contacted Trump’s campaign and the America PAC for comment.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.