Canvassers in Michigan hired by Elon Musk’s America PAC were reportedly flown in from out of state, driven around in a moving van, and threatened with financial penalties if they didn’t meet aggressive performance targets. The allegations, which appear in a new report from Wired, are just the latest blow for America PAC’s get-out-the-vote operation.
On Monday, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner sued Musk and his organization over their flashy $1-million-per-day swing-state sweepstakes, which Krasner panned as an “illegal lottery scheme to influence voters.” America PAC has also faced criticisms from Republican strategists, who say the group has failed to adequately scale up its canvassing infrastructure in swing states like Michigan.
But the Wired report suggests an even deeper level of dysfunction. America PAC has subcontracted much of its door-knocking efforts out to a firm called Blitz Canvassing, which previously worked on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s failed presidential campaign. And Blitz Canvassing has, some workers allege, obfuscated the true nature of their work and subjected them to substandard working conditions.
Among other issues, door-knockers working for the company say they were transported around in the back of a seatless U-Haul moving van after the company failed to arrange formal transportation. The firm also expected out-of-town canvassers to meet aggressive quotas—1,000 door knocks per week, with a stay of at least 30 seconds on each property—and threatened that they might have to pay for their own lodging if they fell behind that pace.
One worker also told Wired they had no idea they were canvassing on behalf of America PAC or Donald Trump’s campaign until after they signed a nondisclosure agreement: “I knew nothing of the job, or much of the job description, other than going door to door and asking the voters who are they voting for,” they said.
According to Wired, America PAC has paid Blitz Canvassing—which describes itself as “an industry leader in field operations, canvassing, signature collection, and petition management”—more than $9 million for door-knocking services. Earlier this year, the company also received more than $14 million from Never Back Down, the outside PAC that has been blamed, in part, for DeSantis’s poor performance in the primary election.
On October 19, The Guardian reported that some Blitz canvassers working for America PAC in Arizona and Nevada appeared to be faking some of their voter engagements. The firm has also been plagued by technical glitches and issues with its app—ironic, given that Musk is funding the operation.