Musk due in court as $1 million voter giveaway faces courtroom test


  • World
  • Thursday, 31 Oct 2024

FILE PHOTO: Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X looks on during the Milken Conference 2024 Global Conference Sessions at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 6, 2024. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Elon Musk has been ordered to attend a Thursday hearing in a prosecutor's lawsuit to block the billionaire's $1 million-a-day giveaway to registered swing state voters ahead of the U.S. election on Nov. 5.

The hearing before Judge Angelo Foglietta concerns Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's bid to halt the giveaway less than a week before the tightly contested U.S. presidential election between Republican former president Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Krasner, who championed progressive causes when running for district attorney, accuses Tesla CEO Musk, a Trump supporter, and his political action committee America PAC of hatching an "illegal lottery scheme to influence voters."

Musk promised to give $1 million a day to randomly selected people who signed a petition pledging support for free speech and gun rights. Signatories were required to be registered voters in one of seven states that will likely decide the outcome of the Nov. 5 election - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Musk gave away the first $1 million to an attendee of an Oct. 19 rally hosted by America PAC in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Krasner's Oct. 28 lawsuit alleges the giveaway amounts to an illegal lottery unsanctioned by the state, which has sole authority to run and regulate them. The suit also says it violates consumer protection laws by "deploying deceptive, vague or misleading statements" about its rules.

"Running an illegal lottery and violating consumer protections is ample basis for an injunction and concluding that America PAC and Musk must be stopped, immediately, before the upcoming Presidential Election on November 5," the suit said.

Musk and America PAC's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some legal experts have said Musk’s giveaway could also potentially violate federal laws against paying people to vote or register to vote. Others say he is in the clear because people are only required to sign a petition to enter.

Krasner's lawsuit was brought in a Pennsylvania state court and does not allege the giveaway violates federal law.

The U.S. Department of Justice warned America PAC the giveaway could violate federal law, multiple news outlets reported last week, although federal prosecutors have not taken any action publicly.

Musk, ranked by Forbes as the world's richest person, has so far given nearly $120 million to America PAC, according to federal disclosures, making the group a crucial part of Trump's bid to regain the White House.

The entrepreneur has increasingly supported Republican causes and this year became an outspoken Trump supporter.

Trump in turn has said that if elected, he would appoint Musk to head a government efficiency commission.

(Reporting by Jack Queen in Philadelphia; Editing by Tom Hogue)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Ukraine rolls out dozens of AI systems to help its drones hit targets
Factbox-The Kurdish PKK militants who could renew peace talks with Turkey
Ukraine steps up wartime anti-graft push with payouts for whistleblowers
Turkey looks to end Kurdish PKK conflict as regional instability grows
Sheriffs push Trump's 'migrant crime' message with scant evidence
Explainer-Why we may not know the winner of the US presidential election on Nov. 5
Kremlin says Ukraine must be nervous if it's asking for US Tomahawk missiles
Spanish rescue teams hunt for missing after deadly floods
Ukraine's military says Russian forces attacked bridge in Odesa region overnight
North Korea leader says longest ICBM test 'appropriate military action' against enemies

Others Also Read