On October 18, 2024, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk spoke at a town hall event held by US PAC in support of former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.
Ryan Collard | AFP | Getty Images
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent a political action committee controlled by billionaire Elon Musk from doling out $1 million to registered voters in swing states, accusing them of “illegally operating a lottery.”
Prosecutor Larry Krasner filed a lawsuit accusing Musk and his U.S. political action committee of trying to influence voters in the presidential election. Ministry of Justice America PAC is warning that its $1 million daily sweepstakes could violate federal election laws.
Krasner’s lawsuit filed in Philadelphia County Common Pleas Court names both men as Tesla CEO Musk and America PAC are named as defendants.
Musk supported Republican candidate Donald Trump in the presidential election against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
“The American Political Action Committee and Elon Musk are operating an illegal lottery in Philadelphia (and throughout Pennsylvania),” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit states that at a campaign rally on October 19, Musk announced that registered voters would be eligible if they provided personally identifiable information (address, cell phone and email address) and signed a petition pledging to support the Constitution. Selected to be randomly selected for a $1 million prize.
“In other words, PAC and Musk are coaxing the citizens of Philadelphia — and the rest of the Commonwealth (and other battleground states in the upcoming election) — to give up their personally identifiable information and make political commitments, in exchange for the opportunity to win $1 million,” the lawsuit states.
“This is a lottery,” the lawsuit states. “There is no question that this is an illegal lottery.”
The lawsuit claims that under Pennsylvania law, all lotteries in the state must be regulated by the state.
The lawsuit alleges that Musk’s lottery also violated Pennsylvania’s consumer protection law by “using deceptive, vague or misleading statements that are likely to cause confusion or misunderstanding.”
“The Philadelphia District Attorney’s job is to protect the public from public nuisances and unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries,” Krasner said in a statement Monday.
“District attorneys are also responsible for protecting the public from interference with election integrity,” Krasner said.
America PAC was briefly investigated by the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office earlier this year after CNBC revealed that the company was collecting personal contacts of voters in battleground states under the guise of helping them register to vote. information.
In response to the investigation, the PAC told state officials it would fix several dead-end links on its website.
Additional reporting by CNBC Kevin Breuninger
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