JUST IN: Democrats Launch Soviet-Style Probe Into Pro-Trump Super PAC Funded By Elon Musk

A super PAC funded in part by Elon Musk and dedicated to supporting former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is in the crosshairs of Democratic officials who are using its prominence to draw attention to “dark money” in the presidential election.

CNBC first reported on an investigation by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson into Musk’s multi-million donations to America PAC even though neither she nor elected Democrats could point to any specific laws the third-party group has broken. Musk publicly endorsed Trump following the July 13th assassination attempt against him. Additionally, he pledged to donate upwards of $45 million per month to groups like America PAC that would support Trump’s reelection. The X owner and founder of Tesla and SpaceX has a net worth of $226.9 billion and is far and away the richest individual in the world.

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The group’s focus has been on registering voters nationwide but puts a special emphasis on collecting data from voters in battleground states. Those who live in states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, or Arizona and visit the PAC’s website will be asked to share contact information like email addresses and cell phone numbers, while others from solidly red or blue states will be directed to a more generic form asking them to register to vote. In Michigan, where Trump is neck-and-neck with Vice President Kamala Harris, residents are asked to enter everything from their phone number and email address to their zip code.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Benson said the office is probing the PAC to determine if voter data is being used and disclosed properly. “Every citizen should know exactly how their personal information is being used by PACs, especially if an entity is claiming it will help people register to vote in Michigan or any other state,” a spokeswoman for the Michigan secretary of state’s office said in a statement to CNBC. “While the America PAC is a federal political action committee, the Department is reviewing their activities to determine if there have been any violations of state law. We will refer potential violations to the Michigan Attorney General’s office as appropriate.”

A person familiar with the inner workings of America PAC told the outlet that there have been some discrepancies about the function of buttons on its website and that the group plans to update the site soon. They added that the group does not directly register voters in swing states. Experts who spoke with CNBC said they did not see any signs of potential lawbreaking. Barbara McQuade, former U.S. Attorney for Michigan’s eastern district, said “I am not aware of any laws being broken.” Mary Massaron, a partner at law firm Plunkett Cooney, could not point to any specific violations but urged the PAC to be more transparent about its data collection efforts. “It is very troubling for any candidate or PAC funded project to deliberately fail to provide information or a link to register to vote when someone asks because they would potentially vote for the opposing candidates,” Massaron said in an email.

The Republican National Committee has sued Benson at least twice, once for “secretly attempting to circumvent Michigan’s absentee voting safeguards,” according to the GOP, and a second time in connection with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s efforts to expand the number state agencies who could assist with voter registration.

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