Guardian columnist draws comparison to American and Moldovan oligarchs' efforts to influence their countries' presidential elections

Writing in an opinion piece in The Guardian today, Arwa Mahdawi made a similar comparison between the Moldovan and American presidential elections that the American Leadership Review October 21 article “What do the Moldovan and American presidential elections have in common?” drew earlier.

Speaking of ‘X’ CEO Elon Musk’s payments to registered voters in competitive U.S. swing states in the 2024 election, Mahdawi writes, “It certainly doesn’t seem a million miles away from the recent case of an oligarch in Russia accused of?funnelling money to elderly residents in Moldova?on the proviso they voted no in a referendum on pursuing EU membership.”[1]

Mahdawi's explanation of Musk's $47 and $100 payments to swing state registered voters differs from ALR’s, however.

Mahdawi reports, “[Musk] had previously offered to pay registered voters in swing states – and only registered voters in swing states – $47 (￡36) to sign the petition, upping the offer on Friday for registered voters in Pennsylvania to $100.”

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[1] Arwa Mahdawi (October 22, 2024). Elon Musk is trying to buy the US election for Donald Trump. What does he want in return? The Guardian. https://lnkd.in/efY6jZxh