Philadelphia DA says he is suing Elon Musk's America PAC over its $1 million giveaway

The territory lawyer of Philadelphia said Monday that he has revenge a suit to halt Elon Musk 's $1 cardinal giveaways arsenic portion of his governmental organization's effort boosting Donald Trump 's statesmanlike campaign.

The suit by Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner is nan first ineligible action to beryllium brought complete nan America PAC's sweepstakes offering $1 cardinal each time until Nov. 5 to a personification successful a battleground authorities who has signed a petition supporting nan Constitution.

Krasner's agency said nan lawsuit, coming conscionable complete a week earlier Election Day, doesn't preclude imaginable criminal action.

“The Philadelphia District Attorney is charged pinch protecting nan nationalist from nationalist nuisances and unfair waste and acquisition practices, including forbidden lotteries. The DA is besides charged pinch protecting nan nationalist from interference pinch nan integrity of elections,” Krasner's agency said successful a connection published connected its website.

A spokesperson for nan billionaire tech mogul's America PAC, emailed for remark connected nan suit and asked if nan rate awards would continue, responded pinch a nexus to an X post, which showed nan latest $1 cardinal victor holding an oversized check.

Krasner's agency didn't instantly respond to questions astir nan lawsuit, including whether it compels Musk to instantly extremity nan giveaway aliases whether nan conflict tin beryllium resolved earlier Election Day.

Reflecting nan state's value successful nan election, some Harris and Trump person made galore caller visits to Pennsylvania, including Trump’s photograph op astatine a suburban Philadelphia McDonald’s and Harris’ Sunday sojourn successful nan city that included stops astatine a religion and a barbershop.

Speaking successful Delaware aft casting his ballot Monday, President Joe Biden called nan giveaway “totally inappropriate.”

Some attending Musk's events person a different view.

Michele Costantino, 64, a retired wellness attraction administrator from Elverson, Pennsylvania, said she thought nan giveaway was a “good idea.”

“I deliberation he’s playing nan aforesaid crippled arsenic nan different side,” said Costantino, opinionated extracurricular Musk’s rally Saturday successful Lancaster. “If you request to flash immoderate large money to get people’s attention, I deliberation it’s a bully idea.”

She noted Musk is not moving for agency himself. “I ne'er heard him say, ‘Here, I’ll springiness you a cardinal dollars if you vote,’” Costantino said.

Musk's giveaway requires entrants to motion a petition backing nan First and Second Amendments of nan Constitution and calls for them to service arsenic spokespeople for nan statement arsenic a information of winning.

The awards person carried connected aft predetermination rule experts raised questions that it violates national rule barring anyone from paying a personification to ballot aliases registry to vote. The issue, they say, is that winning nan grant requires contestants to beryllium registered to ballot successful 1 of a fistful of battleground states. Musk has formed nan money arsenic some a prize arsenic good arsenic net for activity arsenic a spokesperson for nan group.

The female awarded nan $1 cardinal cheque that was presented by Musk connected shape Saturday successful Lancaster declined to remark astir it afterward to a reporter, saying she was directed to time off nan municipality hallway arena earlier it was over.

In his connection announcing nan lawsuit, Krasner characterized nan $1 cardinal prize arsenic a “lottery,” which would make it much heavy regulated than if it were a prize aliases work-related.

Brought successful Pennsylvania court, Krasner's suit doesn't straight use to nan different plaything states whose residents are eligible for nan $1 million.

Musk, who founded SpaceX and Tesla and owns X, has gone each successful connected Trump this election, saying he thinks civilization is astatine liking if he loses. He is undertaking overmuch of nan get-out-the-vote effort for Trump done his ace PAC, which tin raise and walk unlimited sums of money. He has committed more than $70 cardinal to nan ace PAC to thief Trump and different Republicans triumph successful November.

___

Associated Press writers Colleen Long successful Washington and Mark Scolforo successful Lancaster, Pa., contributed to this report.