More than a dozen swing-state Trump supporters who boosted thousands of petitions circulated by Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s America PAC during the 2024 campaign told The Post this week they still haven’t received payouts — or much communication at all.
In October, Musk announced a program that would pay battleground voters who signed circulars supporting the First and Second Amendments.
Signatories were promised $47 apiece for their John or Jane Hancock— a reward later upped to $100 in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania — with payouts going to both the signatories and individuals who recruited them.
Claimants were initially promised checks would go out by Nov. 30, while those who were owed more than $600 would need to fill out an IRS W-9 form to receive full payment — but the paperwork wasn’t distributed right away.
“On Nov. 20, [the PAC] said we would receive a W-9 in 24-48 hours,” said Pennsylvania organizer Cameron Panase, sharing an email verifying the statement with The Post. “It didn’t come till Jan. 3.”
“It’s frustrating,” added Panase, who estimated he was owed roughly $30,000 for his efforts registering student petitioners at Penn State University.
“It said on the site we would be paid by Nov. 30 and all we get back is automated emails [saying] we can submit help desk tickets, which is a Google form and no one responds.”
Arizona activist Cheré Woltz Oliver collected more than 200 signatures with the goal to raise enough money to attend Trump’s second inauguration, which she called “the ultimate Trump rally.”
Just days before the big event, Woltz Oliver has a ticket, but still hasn’t been paid for her efforts, leaving her unable to afford a flight or hotel room.
“I believed in something bigger than myself and I thought that I’d have all that money by now and maybe if I got the tickets to the inauguration, I’d be able to afford to go,” she said. “But I can’t because I haven’t been paid by America PAC, and it gets to be really frustrating when you fight and you fight for something and no one seems to care.”
Musk was adamant about his initiative before the election, successfully taking on challenges to the legality of the operation in court.
But after President-elect Trump’s win — and Musk’s own appointment to help oversee the newly created Department of Government Efficiency — dozens who participated remain confused on whether and when the PAC will fulfill its promise.
“I was counting on that money for Christmas presents for my children,” one Pennsylvania volunteer who said he registered roughly 200 people at gun shows told The Post on Tuesday.
“I have credit card debt, and I want to pay it off. That was my goal,” said another, who claimed to have registered roughly 70 petitions. “Everybody has a goal for our mind to actually put in a bunch of petitions for [America PAC.]”
Asked whether the payments were being processed and when the participants could expect the money, America PAC declined to comment.
However, a source close to the PAC’s efforts said that “America PAC has been working diligently since the program began to make sure all who are eligible are paid.”
According to this person, America PAC has so far distributed 650,000 checks totaling $52.8 million, but added that overachieving volunteers who collected more than $600 worth of petitions “will be paid out last” because the PAC must process the W-9s.
However, volunteers told The Post that they were not informed the W-9 issue would delay their payment by so long a period, and say they should take priority after recruiting strangers to sign the petitions, then spending hours logging the information into an online form for the PAC.
While some said they understood the operation was complex and sorting out the payments may take time, many said the main frustration has been the lack of communication from the organization.
“I’ve done a lot for this PAC. I’ve earned my [money,] and the silence is deafening,” Woltz Oliver said. “I’m not the only one in this position — people are getting their cars repossessed — and they believed in the hope of what this was and [the PAC] shredded it.
“Elon Musk gave us a voice [in the election,] and is now not living up to the promise.”
A handful of participants who have received communication from the PAC say they have been quoted amounts much less than what they believe they are owed.
“They said they owe me only $7,520 and that they already processed and sent a check for $564. I never received it. No check takes that long to get,” a North Carolina volunteer who said she is owed nearly $12,000 told The Post.
“I got an email asking for my sensitive W-9 info weeks ago, which I completed and I have not heard anything. No anticipated date [when] I will receive the money I’m owed,” she claimed. “Nothing about where my $564 check is, no answer as to why I’ve been significantly shorted.
“The entire process is a mess and needs to be audited. I’m starting to think they are either completely inept or this is fraud. It shouldn’t take almost 4 months to pay people. Is this how DOGE is going to be run? Not very efficient or transparent.”
The source close to the PAC said those discrepancies may be because “some people may have referred others who did not meet the PAC’s requirements.”
“This could account for the discrepancy in what they think they are owed and what the PAC has paid them to date,” the source said.
“I feel defeated from the absence of payment [and] response. I don’t think America PAC understands how much some people were banking on this money arriving,” an Arizona volunteer said. “Elon basically offered a new age gold rush. I’m left wondering if we will ever be paid.”
