A political action committee funded by billionaire Elon Musk that aims to help former President Donald Trump re-elect is working to achieve door-knocking goals in some battleground states and is investigating some lobbyists for their role in the campaign, according to people familiar with the matter. Allegations of lying about the number of voters contacted.
In key battleground states such as Wisconsin and Nevada, America PACs are racing to drum up support for Republican candidates in the final two weeks before the Nov. 5 election. Difficulties also arise. Four people involved in the group’s outreach told Reuters that managers warned lobbyists they were falling short of targets and needed to increase the number of potential voters they reached.
Alysia McMillan, who canvasses for a Wisconsin political action committee, said field organizers recently told activists there they were falling short of their daily goals and were on track to meet their ultimate goal of contacting 450,000 voters before Election Day . In a meeting with lobbyists recorded by Macmillan and reviewed by Reuters, one manager warned of the funding shortfall.
“At our current level, we’re not going to reach 450,000 people,” the manager said at the Oct. 8 meeting. It’s unclear how many wins the Wisconsin team has so far.
McMillan works for two local contractors hired by American Political Action Committee to knock on voters’ doors. “If this issue is not investigated promptly, it could waste time and money and could result in President Trump winning the election,” she told Reuters.
McMillan said she was fired from one contractor due to a wage dispute but was hired by another shortly after.
A canvassing manager in Arizona said leaders there have issued similar warnings. Three other people familiar with the matter told Reuters that Musk aide Chris Young, a longtime Republican operative, recently traveled to Nevada to audit whether door-to-door statistics there were inflated by some workers hired by the contractor. Another person familiar with the matter said that US PAC is working to find enough personnel to conduct audits in other states.
A person close to America’s PAC operations said McMillon’s characterization of Wisconsin’s funding shortfall is inaccurate and the group will achieve its goals. Senior operational staff regularly visit field offices to check performance, the person added.
Yang did not respond to a request for comment.
America’s political action committee’s ongoing outreach revolves around door-to-door efforts to persuade “low-propensity voters” — people who might support Trump but could stay home and not vote — to cast a vote. The effort is focused on battleground states where any small difference in voter turnout could tip a victory for Trump or Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in an election that polls still see as too close to call .
Musk, named the world’s richest man by Forbes, has so far at least provided $75 million America PAC has become an important part of Trump’s bid to regain the White House, according to federal disclosures. The entrepreneur behind automaker Tesla and rocket and satellite company SpaceX Republican cause gains growing support. This year, the tycoon became an outspoken supporter of Trump, who said he would appoint Musk to lead the Council on Government Effectiveness if elected.
Musk did not respond to a request for comment.
A Trump campaign spokesman declined to comment.
Despite the influx of cash, some U.S. political action committee outreach efforts have been plagued by confusion, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Like many campaigns, the organization hired contractors to do its grassroots work and relied on hourly workers to knock on doors and talk face-to-face with potential voters.
Some of these workers are difficult to retain. Three lobbyists who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters the work was not worth paying, with some contractors starting as low as $20 an hour. In some cases, lobbyists drive long distances in remote areas and are unable to receive gas reimbursements, they added.
In Nevada, it’s unclear whether Young’s audit has concluded, drawn any conclusions or prompted any changes in America PAC’s outreach. Managers at Nevada contractor Lone Mountain Strategies are anxious because they have to fire canvassers who use smartphone apps to mask their locations and lie about door-to-door numbers, according to text messages reviewed by Reuters.
“Our auditors continue to find cheating,” one of the messages read. “We fired two people today and auditors are checking doors for flyers.”
Lone Mountain Strategies did not respond to emails or phone calls seeking comment.
The American Political Action Committee recently updated its website to prominently display ads seeking vote-getters. “Salary starts at $30 an hour with bonuses based on performance,” the website reads.
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