A judge in Pennsylvania permits Elon Musk to donate $1 million to voters

On Monday, a Pennsylvania state judge cleared the way for Elon Musk's daily $1 million giveaway targeting swing-state voters, following an unexpected day of testimony where Musk's aide admitted that the contest’s winners were selected by his political team.

With the U.S. presidential election between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump just a day away, attorneys for Musk’s pro-Trump America PAC argued before Judge Angelo Foglietta that the contest was not an "illegal lottery," as alleged by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.

Lawyers for America PAC and its director, Chris Young, explained that the funds were awarded to individuals who would best represent their pro-Trump platform, despite Musk’s earlier assertion that winners would be chosen at random.

The Tesla (NASDAQ) CEO has already distributed $16 million to registered swing-state voters who qualified by signing a petition launched by his political action committee. America PAC announced a winner from Arizona on Monday and plans to reveal the final recipient, from Michigan, on Election Day.

Launched on Oct. 19, the contest is open to registered voters in key battleground states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—who signed a petition in support of free speech and gun rights.

Philadelphia District Attorney Krasner, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit on Oct. 28 to halt the contest in Pennsylvania, arguing that the cash awards amounted to an illegal lottery with vague rules. Krasner also indicated he would pursue financial penalties.

Judge Foglietta dismissed Krasner's motion with a brief order, promising to provide further reasoning later.

Musk’s attorney, Andy Taylor, accused Krasner’s office of infringing on Pennsylvanians' rights by attempting to prevent them from signing the petition.

"Krasner’s team is trying to restrain Pennsylvanian citizens from signing a free speech and right to bear arms petition," Taylor said in his closing argument.

Having emerged as a prominent Trump supporter this year, Musk has actively promoted the former president on his social media platform, X. He has reportedly contributed nearly $120 million to America PAC to advance voter mobilization and registration, according to federal filings.

With Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes potentially decisive in the race to secure the 270 votes required for victory, this contest could play a significant role.

'A MASSIVE DECEPTION'

In an attempt to show that the giveaway was not an illegal lottery, Musk’s legal team argued that the $1 million payments were not prizes but compensation for individuals selected to represent America PAC’s pro-Trump views.

Young testified that he chose winners based on a review of candidates’ social media and face-to-face interactions at events, selecting those who participated in America PAC videos and permitted the use of their images.

John Summers, representing Krasner’s office, claimed that this selective process not only made the giveaway an illegal lottery but also constituted a fraud.

“If what they’re saying is accurate,” Summers argued, “this could be one of the biggest deceptions in the last 50 years.”

To support this, Summers showed a video of Musk from an Oct. 19 Trump rally, where Musk stated that America PAC would randomly distribute $1 million to individuals signing the petition, adding that all they asked in return was that winners act as spokespeople for America PAC.

Young expressed surprise over Musk’s public description of the giveaway as random and acknowledged that winners signed non-disclosure agreements restricting them from discussing the terms.

The giveaway inhabits a legal gray zone, with some experts debating whether it may violate federal laws against offering payments to voters for registration. According to reports, the U.S. Department of Justice has cautioned America PAC about potential violations, though federal prosecutors have not yet taken any formal action.

Given the Trump campaign's reliance on independent groups for voter outreach, Musk’s super PAC, established by the world’s wealthiest individual, is poised to play a substantial role in an election expected to be exceptionally close.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paraphrasing text from "Reuters" all rights reserved by the original author.