A political action committee, End Citizens United, has initiated a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against former President Donald Trump in connection with his recent extensive two-hour interview with Elon Musk. The committee asserts that the interview constituted a de facto campaign event for Trump, which was supposedly financed by X, previously known as Twitter, thereby contravening federal campaign finance laws.
The complaint identifies Donald Trump, his campaign treasurer Bradley T. Crate, and X as the primary respondents. It articulates concerns that this situation represents a blatant corporate contribution, thus undermining the anti-corruption ethos advocated by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. According to federal statutes, corporations are prohibited from making contributions to political candidates, and candidates are similarly barred from accepting such financial support.
The definition of a “contribution” under the law can encompass any provision of value to a candidate related to their candidacy. The complaint further elaborates that during the interview, Musk not only supported Trump’s campaign but that employees of X were actively engaged in facilitating the event, addressing technical issues in real-time.
The live-streamed dialogue with Musk, conducted on the Spaces feature of X, amassed millions of views but experienced significant setbacks, including a 40-minute delay attributed to technical difficulties. Musk, a known supporter of Trump, reiterated his backing for the former president throughout the session.
End Citizens United has formally requested that the FEC conduct a thorough investigation into these alleged violations, imposing the maximum allowable fines and preventing further infractions by the respondents. While the law does include a media exemption, the complaint affirms that such exemption does not extend to the resources expended by X in this instance.
In her remarks, End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “The Donald Trump-Elon Musk campaign rally hosted on X was not merely an informal discussion filled with misleading statements, but rather a flagrant violation of campaign finance regulations. This kind of corporate contribution jeopardizes the integrity of campaign finance laws and paves the way for unchecked corporate influence in electoral campaigns. The FEC must thoroughly investigate this matter and hold all parties accountable for their actions.”