Elon Musk's $1 million voter sweepstakes may continue, Pa. judge says

A judge successful Pennsylvania ruled Monday that Elon Musk's governmental action committee's $1 cardinal a time elector sweepstakes can proceed done Tuesday's statesmanlike election.

Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta did not instantly connection a logic for nan ruling.

In tribunal Monday, Musk's lawyers said nan recipients of his giveaway are not chosen by chance but to service arsenic spokespeople for nan ace PAC, America PAC.

Musk lawyer Chris Gober said nan last 2 recipients earlier Tuesday's statesmanlike predetermination will beryllium successful Arizona connected Monday and Michigan connected Tuesday.

"The $1 cardinal recipients are not chosen by chance," Gober said Monday. "We cognize precisely who will beryllium announced arsenic nan $1 cardinal recipient coming and tomorrow."

Gober said nan "winners" of nan giveaway are chosen based connected their individual stories, and they motion a statement pinch America PAC to service arsenic a spokesperson.

"The $1 cardinal recipients are not chosen by chance," Gober said Monday. "We cognize precisely who will beryllium announced arsenic nan $1 cardinal recipient coming and tomorrow."

Musk was again a no-show successful tribunal connected Monday, nan time earlier nan 2024 statesmanlike election. Last week, nan billionaire did not look successful tribunal contempt a judge's bid that "all parties must beryllium present."

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner revenge a civil lawsuit against Musk and his ace PAC, alleging nan $1 cardinal sweepstakes is trying to power voters successful nan election.

Krasner had called nan sweepstakes a scam violating authorities predetermination rule and asked it to beryllium unopen down.

Chris Young, nan head of America PAC, testified that nan recipients are vetted up of time, to "feel retired their personality, (and) make judge they were personification whose values aligned" pinch nan group.

The disclosures prompted a lawyer for Krasner to telephone nan effort a "scam" that is "designed to really power a nationalist election."

Musk's lawyers, successful closing arguments, called it "core governmental speech" fixed that participants motion a petition endorsing nan U.S. Constitution. They said Krasner's ineligible bid to unopen down nan sweepstakes nether Pennsylvania rule was moot because location would beryllium nary much Pennsylvania winners earlier nan programme ends Tuesday.

Krasner believes that violates authorities predetermination rule and contradicts what Musk promised erstwhile he announced nan giveaways during an quality pinch Republican statesmanlike nominee Donald Trump's run successful Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, connected Oct. 19: "We're going to beryllium awarding a cardinal dollars randomly to group who person signed nan petition each time from now until nan election," Musk vowed.

Young besides acknowledged that nan PAC made nan recipients motion nondisclosure agreements.

In an Oct. 20 societal media station shown successful court, Musk said anyone signing nan petition had "a regular chance of winning $1M!"

Summers grilled him connected Musk's usage of some nan words "chance" and "randomly," prompting Young, who besides serves arsenic nan PAC's treasurer, to concede nan second was not "the connection I would person selected."

Young said nan winners knew they would beryllium called connected shape but not specifically that they would triumph nan money.

"They couldn't really uncover nan truth astir really they sewage nan money, right?" asked Krasner lawyer John Summers.

"Sounds right," Young said.

Krasner took nan witnesser guidelines Monday and called nan sweepstakes a scam arsenic he asked nan judge to unopen it down. Foglietta planned to norm aft a short luncheon break.

"This was each a governmental trading masquerading arsenic a lottery," Krasner testified. "That's what it is. A grift."

Lawyers for Musk and nan PAC said they do not scheme to widen nan lottery beyond Tuesday.

Krasner said nan first 3 winners, starting connected Oct. 19, came from Pennsylvania successful nan days starring up to nan state's Oct. 21 elector registration deadline.

Other winners came from nan battleground states of Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan. It's not clear if anyone has yet received nan money.

The PAC pledged they would get it by Nov. 30, according to an grounds shown successful court.

More than 1 cardinal group from nan 7 states person registered for nan sweepstakes by signing a petition saying they support nan correct to free reside and to carnivore arms, nan first 2 amendments to nan U.S. Constitution.

Krasner questioned really nan PAC mightiness usage their data, which it will person connected manus good past nan election.

"They were scammed for their information," Krasner said. "It has almost unlimited use."

Summers said Musk is "the heartbeat of America PAC," and nan personification announcing nan winners and presenting nan checks.

"He was nan 1 who presented nan checks, albeit ample cardboard checks," Summers said. "We don't really cognize if location are immoderate existent checks."

Foglietta presided complete nan lawsuit astatine Philadelphia City Hall aft Musk and nan PAC mislaid an effort to move it to national court.

Krasner has said he could still see criminal charges, arsenic he's tasked pinch protecting some lotteries and nan integrity of elections. In nan lawsuit, he said nan defendants are "indisputably violating" Pennsylvania's lottery laws.

Pennsylvania remains a cardinal battleground authorities pinch 19 electoral votes and some Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris person many times visited nan state, including stops planned Monday in nan last hours of nan campaign.

Krasner — who noted that he has agelong driven a Tesla — said he could besides activity civilian damages for nan Pennsylvania registrants. Musk owns Tesla on pinch nan societal media level X, wherever America PAC has published posts connected nan sweepstakes, and nan rocket vessel shaper SpaceX.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In:
• Pennsylvania
• Elon Musk
• Elections
• Larry Krasner
• Election
• Philadelphia