A state judge on Monday allowed Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day gift to registered voters in states that could decide the presidential election to go forward in Pennsylvania.
The decision came hours before Americans vote to elect their next president, in a tight battle between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Musk and his political action committee support the Republican.
Pennsylvania Judge Angelo Foglietta’s decision came after a day of testimony in Philadelphia state court in which Musk’s allies acknowledged handpicking the winners based on who would be the best spokespersons for his super’s agenda. PAC, despite the fact that the billionaire assured that they would be chosen at random.
Since October 19, Tesla CEO Musk has been giving a $1 million check each day to a randomly chosen voter who has signed his petition supporting free speech and gun rights.
Musk’s offer is limited to registered voters in the seven states expected to decide the election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Musk became an outspoken Trump supporter this year and has promoted the former president on his X social media platform.
Researchers said last week that X has been ineffective in countering the rise of electoral misinformation.
So far, Musk’s America PAC has awarded $1 million prizes to 16 people and said the final prize will be awarded on November 5.
Democratic Philadelphia District Attorney Lawrence Krasner sued Musk and his political action committee in state court on Oct. 28 to try to block the giveaway. Krasner, an advocate for progressive causes, called the initiative an illegal lottery that violates state consumer protection laws.
Foglietta denied Krasner’s claim in a brief written order and said he would lay out his reasoning later.
Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania, one of seven battleground states that will likely determine the outcome of the Trump-Harris race.
Whichever candidate wins the state will receive its 19 electoral votes. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win.
The gift falls into a gray area of election law, and legal experts disagree on whether Musk could be violating federal laws that prohibit paying people to register to vote.
The US Department of Justice has warned America PAC that the gift could violate federal law, according to media reports, but federal prosecutors have not taken any public action.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels YouTube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.
Add Comment