A new super PAC with ties to Elon Musk is shaking up its field operation, in a major change to what has been envisioned as a significant canvassing program working on behalf of former President Donald J. Trump.
The decision is a stark reversal for the group, America PAC, and reveals a rocky start for Mr. Musk and his allies in their first stab at significant political work.
The super PAC has one of the most ambitious plans of any outside group seeking to influence the 2024 presidential election. It hopes to spend enormous sums to effectively build a new G.O.P. ground game that could coordinate with the Trump campaign in a novel way.
But things are off to a rocky start. The group had already paid millions of dollars to a field vendor to begin its canvassing operations, which are, for now, in disarray. It had hopes of spending upward of $160 million on the endeavor, and its planned budget and schedule had already struck some Republican paid-canvassing experts who have followed its operations as highly aggressive.
America PAC had planned to hire hundreds of canvassers through the field vendor, a prominent organizing firm called In Field Strategies, as it worked to turn out voters for Mr. Trump. Now, it has ended its relationship with the company, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
The super PAC, which as of recently is being run by the firm of Phil Cox, a prominent Republican operative, had over the last two months spent more than $15 million with In Field, according to federal filings. It is unclear what will happen to that money.
Mr. Cox has his own affiliated paid-canvassing firm, called Blitz Canvassing, though it is not known how involved it will be in the reconstituted effort. America PAC plans to work with multiple canvassing operations, according to a person close to the super PAC.
After this article was published online, Chris LaCivita, one of Mr. Trump’s senior aides, praised the rejiggered super PAC, calling the “New Program 100% better than the old gang. Solidly support this effort!”
Still, America PAC will now have to build its field operations largely from scratch, with not much time before early voting begins.
The change has been unnerving for the hundreds of paid canvassers who, beginning in mid-June, deployed across the country, expected to be paid through Election Day, and were suddenly stranded in far-flung Airbnbs and hotels without speedy return flights, and what they described as poor communication.
In Wisconsin, for instance, In Field had already hired 15 to 20 paid canvassers, according to a person with knowledge of the operation.
The person, who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press, said In Field had told canvassers who had relocated to the state at a meeting this month that the PAC had abruptly terminated their work, which had been set to continue through the election, after just a few weeks.
America PAC has also been active or is planning to be active in Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania through In Field, its subcontractors or their future replacements, according to people briefed on the PAC’s plans. In Field had about 100 paid canvassers in Arizona who are now searching for work, according to one of the people.
The company had flown hundreds of canvassers from across the country to Atlanta for several days of in-person training on how to talk to voters at doors and identify whether they planned to support Mr. Trump, three of the people said.
America PAC has drawn attention from Mr. Trump’s team, in part because of Mr. Musk’s involvement, and is planning on striking a data-sharing agreement to coordinate with the Trump campaign even with the changes, according to a person with knowledge of the plan.
A recent advisory opinion from the Federal Election Commission has made it more legally permissible for super PACs to coordinate directly on field-organizing, and the Trump campaign has sought to team up with several outside groups, including one called Turnout for America.
A lawyer for America PAC, which has taken pains to remain under the radar, did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The group was co-founded this spring by Mr. Musk and is being funded by many of his allies, including Joe Lonsdale, a major Republican donor. Mr. Lonsdale and his top political aide, Blake Brickman, have persuaded some of his friends to financially support the America PAC. Mr. Lonsdale has claimed to others that Mr. Musk planned to spend as much as $180 million on the super PAC, according to a person briefed on Mr. Lonsdale’s remarks, but Mr. Musk has since said publicly that he is spending far less than that.
