According to fresh campaign finance filings, billionaire Elon Musk invested over $20 million in an enigmatic super PAC at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign, as part of his overall expenditure of nearly $250 million to support President-elect Donald Trump.
According to the group’s filing submitted to the Federal Election Commission on Thursday night, Musk provided funding for RBG PAC. Ads claiming that Trump opposed a federal abortion ban were released by the super PAC, which did not reveal its funders prior to the election.
The entire $20.5 million raised by the organization came from a single gift from the Austin, Texas-based Elon Musk Revocable Trust. The campaign financial report, which covered the period from October 17 to November 25, shows that RBG PAC spent nearly all of its money on digital advertisements, mailers, and text messages.
Clara Spara, Ginsburg’s granddaughter, criticized the group’s website for claiming that Trump and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have a similar stance on abortion, telling the New York Times that the message was “nothing short of appalling.”
Three judges selected by Trump voted with the majority to abolish the national right to an abortion, and Trump claimed credit for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (After Ginsburg passed away in mid-September, one of those justices, Amy Coney Barrett, was named to succeed Ginsburg just weeks before the 2020 election.) He backed a federal ban on abortions beyond 20 weeks while he was president.
However, Trump changed his mind during this campaign and stated that he supported states’ autonomy to enact abortion laws. Democrats continue to attack Trump harshly for his previous stances, claiming that if elected, he and a Republican Congress would enact laws restricting abortion across the country.
RBG PAC’s late ad campaign is just a small portion of Musk’s overall election expenditures this year; he also contributed to America PAC, a super PAC that claimed to have spent $157 million backing Trump.
According to the most recent campaign finance report from America PAC, Musk gave the organization $238 million during the election season, including $120 million in the final weeks of the contest.
According to federal reports, America PAC made significant expenditures on digital advertising, printing and postage (presumably for direct mail), canvassing, and text message-based get-out-the-vote campaigns. Additionally, the group conducted a contentious cash giveaway, giving $1 million every day to everyone who signed its conservative-leaning petition.
In late October, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner filed a lawsuit against Musk and America PAC in an attempt to block the giveaway, but a state judge refused to stop the scheme. At about the same time, the Justice Department informed the PAC that the giveaway might be unlawful, but it did nothing to address the matter publicly.
Each of those $1 million awards is listed in America PAC’s campaign financial report as payment to a “spokesperson consultant.”
In late October, Musk also donated $3 million to the MAHA Alliance, a super PAC connected to Robert F. Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.
Given that political parties are still submitting fundraising reports with a deadline of Thursday night, it’s certain that Musk also contributed more to pro-Trump initiatives.
Despite being one of Trump’s most prominent fundraisers this cycle, the founder of Space X and Tesla is also one of his stop donors. To the dismay of some in Trump’s inner circle, he has been a consistent presence at Mar-a-Lago and by Trump’s side during the transition.
Musk was appointed co-chair of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” project to assist him on federal budget cuts.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!