Federal law says a crime is committed by anyone who “makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and

“Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote.”

Arizona has a similar law, saying it’s illegal to get someone to vote a particular way by “force, threats, menaces, bribery or any corrupt means, either directly or indirectly.”

Similar laws exist in every state, including Wisconsin, where co-President Elon Musk has been trying to "buy" votes in a state Supreme Court justice election without actually buying votes.

It’s illegal to buy votes. But there are legal ways around the law, apparently, by using ambiguity,........

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