Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, center, leaves after a hearing at City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024.
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A judge on Monday rejected a request from the Philadelphia district attorney to block a $1 million daily giveaway Tesla Ahead of Election Day, Chief Executive Elon Musk’s political action committee held a PAC to voters in Pennsylvania and other battleground states.
Philadelphia County Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta issued the order after an hour-long hearing in which District Attorney Larry Krasner testified Called the US PAC’s giveaway behavior a “scam”, “fraud” and an “illegal lottery”.
Krasner American PACwhich was in support of Donald Trump in the presidential election against Kamala Harris.
America PAC has awarded $17 million so far to people in battleground states who signed petitions supporting the constitution and said it will award the final $1 million installment on Tuesday, Election Day.
Folletta said in his order that he would explain his reasons for denying Krasner’s request for an injunction later in a written decision.
His order did not end the district attorney’s civil lawsuit, which accused Musk and the PAC of violating Pennsylvania’s lottery and consumer protection laws and violating consumer protection laws with giveaways.
Krasner said Monday that his legal case has actually become stronger as a result of PAC’s admission, as Musk claims the award’s winner is not chosen at random.
US PAC treasurer Chris Young testified that he was surprised to hear Musk use the word “random” during a public event announcing the giveaway in October.
“That’s not the word I would choose,” Young said.
He testified that before the awards were announced, recipients were interviewed to “get a feel for their personalities and make sure their values aligned with the political action committees” that paid them to serve as spokespersons.
“The recipient of this $1 million was not chosen by chance,” Chris Gober, the PAC’s former treasurer, said Monday. “We know exactly who will be announced as the $1 million recipient today and tomorrow. “
On October 26, 2024, SpaceX and Tesla founder Musk delivered a speech at the American PAC Town Hall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Samuel Kunlun | Getty Images News | Getty Images
During Monday’s hearing, Krasner suggested that Musk and the US PAC may have violated the giveaway.
“There is no First Amendment right to commit a crime,” Krasner testified. “There is no First Amendment right to commit fraud.”
Under questioning from John Summers, an attorney representing Krasner’s office, the district attorney said the fact that he is a Democrat had no bearing on last week’s decision to prosecute Musk and America’s PAC.
Krasner also said he drives a Tesla and has had one since 2016.
“I like Teslas,” the district attorney testified.
Krasner said when asked whether he would sue pop star Taylor Swift, who is supporting Harris, if she offered Musk his $1 million bonus , Krasner said he would.
He noted that he has sued Democrats in the past.
Before the hearing, Gober, who until last week was the treasurer of US PAC, told reporters: “We are in court today because some district attorneys in Philadelphia want to silence Elon Musk in support of Donald Trump. Donald Trump.
Gober also testified that even though Musk used the word “random” to describe the selection of recipients, the word was used “accidentally.”
“We ask people to sign petition, and refer others to sign petition,” Gober testified. “Then we gather those people across the country and determine which one of them is going to be an effective spokesperson, and then we sign a contract with them obligation.”
“We know exactly who will be announced as the million-dollar winner today and tomorrow,” he testified.
Summers, the district attorney’s attorney, seized on Gober’s testimony as an “admission of responsibility” in the lawsuit.
Krasner testified that evidence he reviewed in an “ongoing criminal investigation” suggested the recipients were supposedly chosen at random.
“In my 37 years in court, this is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard,” Krasner said of Gober’s testimony.
“Let’s just say our case got better this morning,” Krasner said.
–Gary Grumbach reported from Philadelphia, and Dan Mangan reported from New York.
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