PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Pennsylvania judge ruled on Monday that the $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes organized by Elon Musk’s political action committee can proceed through Tuesday’s presidential election.
Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta made the decision following arguments from Musk’s legal team, who stated that the winners of the sweepstakes are paid spokespeople rather than being selected randomly. However, the judge did not elaborate on the reasoning behind his ruling.
Critics, including District Attorney Larry Krasner, condemned the sweepstakes as a scam aimed at influencing a national election and sought to halt the program. Krasner asserted that the process breaks state election laws and contradicts Musk’s earlier claims that winners would be picked through a random drawing.
In response to the court proceedings, Musk’s attorney Chris Gober disclosed that the last two announcements before Election Day would take place in Arizona on Monday and in Michigan on Tuesday. “The $1 million recipients are not chosen by chance,” Gober stated. “We know exactly who will be announced as the $1 million recipient today and tomorrow.”
Young, the director and treasurer of America PAC, testified that the recipients are carefully selected, stating, “We vet them to assess their personality and ensure their values align with ours.” However, he also acknowledged that recipients are required to sign nondisclosure agreements, which raised questions about their ability to reveal the true nature of the giveaway.
Krasner expressed concern that the giveaway violates state election laws, particularly highlighting Musk’s previous statement during an appearance with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Harrisburg on October 19, where Musk claimed, “We’re going to be awarding a million dollars randomly to people who have signed the petition every day from now until the election.”
Outside the Philadelphia courtroom, attorney Chris Gober stated that the $1 million sweepstakes hosted by Musk’s political action committee is lawful.
Krasner described the initiative as a political marketing scheme masquerading as a lottery, suggesting it is a deceptive practice. He highlighted that three winners had already been chosen from Pennsylvania in the lead-up to the state’s voter registration deadline, with other recipients selected from critical battleground states like Wisconsin, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Musk did not attend the hearing but has reportedly committed more than $70 million to the super PAC to back Trump and other Republican candidates in the upcoming election.
Krasner raised concerns regarding how the PAC might utilize the information of the more than 1 million participants who signed a petition endorsing the rights outlined in the first two amendments of the U.S. Constitution. “They were scammed for their information,” he remarked, noting the potential for misuse of that data.
Krasner characterized Musk as the “heartbeat of America PAC,” implying he is heavily involved in announcing winners and distributing prizes. “We don’t know if there are any real checks,” Krasner pointed out after Summers questioned the nature of the distributed checks.
Krasner has indicated he might consider criminal charges in connection with the sweepstakes, as he aims to protect both the integrity of elections and the legality of lottery systems in effect.
Pennsylvania holds significant weight in the upcoming election with its 19 electoral votes, leading both Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris to actively campaign in the state. Krasner mentioned he may pursue civil damages for the registrants in Pennsylvania, highlighting that Musk is a prominent figure as the CEO of Tesla and owner of SpaceX, along with his affiliation with X, the social media platform where America PAC has promoted the sweepstakes.
