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Donald Trump listens to Elon Musk at a campaign rally in Butler,Pennsylvania.Credit:AP

“The America PAC is just aiming for common sense,centrist values,” the SpaceX and Tesla founder said on his social media platform X,shortly after the sum was made public in a campaign finance filing.

In September,Trump formally endorsed a plan for a special commission that wouldgive Musk a role in his administration with broad responsibilities for auditing federal spending and regulations. “This commission will develop an action plan to totally eliminate fraud and improper payments within six months,” Trump said. At the time he said Trump said Musk had “agreed to head the taskforce” and credited him for recommending the panel.

Super PACs like Musk’s America PAC can raise and spend unlimited funds but are typically forbidden from co-ordinating their efforts with the candidates they support. A recent opinion by the Federal Election Commission,which regulates federal political campaigns,allowed for candidates and these big-spending groups to work together on so-called ground game efforts,which are the armies of people deployed to knock on doors to help motivate people to vote.

Enthusiastic:Elon Musk appeared alongside Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler,Pennsylvania,on October 5.Credit:AP

While candidates and political parties have traditionally organised and paid for such efforts,Trump’s campaign has struggled to raise money this year and has turned to a handful of outside groups to undertake the work,with Musk’s PAC being top among them.

But in doing so,the campaign has outsourced a core function to a coterie of untested groups that operate independently. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ decision to have an outside group canvass for him is said to be one of the reasons his presidential bid failed.

So far,America PAC has spent more than $US38 million on voter canvassing efforts,according to campaign finance disclosures.

Much of the money has been paid to a handful of consulting firms,including some linked to Phil Cox,a former presidential campaign aide to DeSantis and a one-time executive director of the Republican Governors Association. Businesses under the umbrella of Cox’s various companies have collected at least $US21 million since August,records show.

Trump’s outsourcing much of his get-out-the-vote effort is not the only unorthodox strategy his campaign has adopted this year. It and his allies have also jettisoned the traditional focus on winning over independent or moderate voters. Instead,they are trying to drive turnout among Trump supporters who seldom cast a ballot,a novel if risky approach.

Though Musk is America PAC’s top donor,he is not its only one. The PAC also collected about $US8.75 million from a handful of wealthy donors,including the twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss,the disputed creators of Facebook.

The PAC has spent nearly $US80 million this year. Though most of the spending has gone towards the presidential race,at least $US5 million has been spent to help Republican House candidates.

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