{"id":2368729,"date":"2024-11-13T21:47:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T02:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fec-chairman-says-doj-broke-federal-policies-with-warning-letter-to-musk-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-11-13T21:48:59","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T02:48:59","slug":"fec-chairman-says-doj-broke-federal-policies-with-warning-letter-to-musk-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fec-chairman-says-doj-broke-federal-policies-with-warning-letter-to-musk-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"FEC chairman says DOJ broke federal policies with \u2018warning letter\u2019 to Musk &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffec-chairman-says-doj-broke-federal-policies-with-warning-letter-to-musk-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2368729&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>FEC Chairman Sean Cooksey has accused the Department of Justice (DOJ) of breaching federal policies through a warning letter sent to Elon Musk, targeting what he \u200cdescribes as &#8220;perceived \u2062political opponents.&#8221; In a letter to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, Cooksey asserts that\u200d the DOJ&#8217;s actions were intended to \u2062intimidate private \u200dcitizens and deter them from supporting President Trump, potentially influencing the 2024 presidential election. He has called\u2063 for an investigation into these actions.<\/p>\n<p>The controversy \u200bstems \u200cfrom a letter that the DOJ sent to Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump political action committee, America PAC, warning\u200c that a $1 million giveaway he was promoting might <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fec-reportedly-decides-twitter-did-nothing-wrong-suppressing-true-hunter-biden-laptop-story\/\" title=\"FEC Reportedly Decides Twitter Did Nothing Wrong Suppressing True Hunter Biden Laptop Story\">violate election laws<\/a>. Musk defended the initiative,\u2064 stating that participants \u200bwere not required to register as Republicans. However, critics, particularly from the Democratic Party, used\u2062 the DOJ&#8217;s warning to accuse Musk of undermining democracy.<\/p>\n<p>Cooksey likened the DOJ&#8217;s warning letter to past political scandals, suggesting it was an\u200c attempt by\u2064 the Biden \u2062administration\u200b to disrupt \u200cTrump\u2019s campaign efforts in <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">key swing states shortly<\/a>\u200c before\u2062 the election. He also claimed that the letter&#8217;s details were leaked to \u200bthe media, violating internal protocols. The DOJ has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding these allegations.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">FEC chairman says DOJ broke federal policies with &lsquo;warning letter&rsquo; to Musk<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1873063\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A top Federal Election Commission official has accused the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Department of Justice<\/a> of violating federal policies and targeting &ldquo;perceived political opponents&rdquo; for a letter it sent to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elon-musk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Elon Musk<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>FEC Chairman Sean Cooksey argued that the agency&rsquo;s actions amounted to efforts &ldquo;to intimidate and chill private citizens and organizations from campaigning on behalf of President Trump&rdquo; and tried to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Letter-from-Chairman-Sean-Cooksey-to-DOJ-IG-and-OPR-November-13-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">letter<\/a> to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz on Wednesday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The FEC chief also called on Horowitz and the DOJ&rsquo;s Office of Professional Responsibility to open an investigation into the matter and &ldquo;hold accountable any individuals responsible for any violations of federal law or department policies.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>reached out to the DOJ for comment outside of normal business hours but did not receive a response at the time of publishing.<\/p>\n<p>Cooksey&rsquo;s words mark the FEC&rsquo;s official reaction to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3200814\/doj-warns-elon-musk-giveaway-illegal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">letter<\/a> the DOJ sent to Musk&rsquo;s pro-Trump political action committee just weeks before Election Day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, left, and former President Donald Trump attend a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The letter, which was first reported by the <em>New York Times<\/em>, warned Musk&rsquo;s America PAC that the $1 million giveaway he was offering to voters who signed his organization&rsquo;s petition in support of constitutional freedom might violate the law.<\/p>\n<p>While Musk had defended the giveaways by noting participants &ldquo;do not need to register as Republicans or vote in the Nov. 5 elections,&rdquo; the news set off a media firestorm, with Democratic critics <a href=\"https:\/\/www.welch.senate.gov\/welch-blumenthal-call-on-dept-of-justice-to-investigate-elon-musks-cash-sweepstakes-to-swing-state-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">using<\/a> the DOJ&rsquo;s letter to claim Musk was making &ldquo;a mockery of democracy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The underlying motivation behind this stunt is obvious,&rdquo; Cooksey said after comparing the DOJ&rsquo;s warning letter to the 1972 Watergate scandal. &ldquo;Employees of President Biden&rsquo;s Department of Justice wanted to stop an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bloomberg-donates-200000-to-san-francisco-mayor-london-breeds-reelection-campaign\/\" title=\"Bloomberg gives 0k to SF Mayor Breed&#039;s reelection campaign\">independent political committee<\/a> from campaigning for President Trump in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/review-2000-mules\/\" title=\"REVIEW: \u20182000 Mules\u2019\">crucial swing states<\/a> just prior to election day.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Cooksey also accused the DOJ&rsquo;s Public Integrity Section of immediately leaking the letter it sent to Musk to the <em>New York Times<\/em> and said the move violated the department&rsquo;s media policies.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Writing such a letter and then leaking it also violates the department&rsquo;s long-standing policy against the identification of uncharged parties and the disclosure of prejudicial information,&rdquo; he wrote.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Musk is a longtime Democrat who supported former President Barack Obama before saying he began to shift to the GOP over the last few years. The founder of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk endorsed Trump following the first assassination attempt on the president-elect in July. He was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3228045\/trump-taps-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-government-efficiency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">appointed<\/a> this week along with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency for the incoming Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies &ndash; Essential to the &lsquo;Save America&rsquo; Movement,&rdquo; Trump said Tuesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1873063\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1873063\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FEC chair claims DOJ violated policies with letter to Musk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2368730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Elon-1-million-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7076,10614,4250,44969],"class_list":["post-2368729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-doj","tag-fec","tag-musk","tag-warning-letter"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Elon-1-million-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2368729"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2368733,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368729\/revisions\/2368733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2368730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2368729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2368729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2368729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}