Judge Allows Elon Musk’s $1 Million Daily Voter Giveaway to Continue Amid Accusations of Election Manipulation
International news section 05-11-2024
A Pennsylvania judge has ruled that a $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes organized by a political group backed by billionaire Elon Musk can proceed, despite concerns from state officials.
The sweepstakes, launched last month by Musk in seven key battleground states expected to shape the 2024 U.S. presidential election, has drawn widespread criticism. Some view it as an effort to bolster support for Republican candidate Donald Trump, who has received both financial and public endorsement from Musk.
Musk has donated $75 million to America PAC, a political action committee backing Republican candidates, including Trump. Through this sweepstakes, $16 million has already been awarded to swing-state voters who signed a petition endorsing Musk’s political objectives.
In Pennsylvania’s Common Pleas Court, Judge Angelo Foglietta upheld the contest after testimony revealed that winners were not chosen randomly. Instead, Musk’s aides admitted to hand-selecting winners based on their alignment with America PAC’s goals, which diverges from Musk’s previous claims that the winners would be chosen at random.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, labeled the initiative a “scam,” alleging it was designed to influence the election. He sought an injunction to stop the sweepstakes, though the judge ultimately ruled in Musk’s favor.
According to Musk’s lawyer, Chris Gober, the final pre-election recipients of the $1 million prize would be announced in Arizona and Michigan. Gober acknowledged that recipients were deliberately chosen, not by chance, for their perceived alignment with the PAC’s values.
Chris Young, America PAC’s director and treasurer, testified that recipients were vetted based on personality and alignment with the PAC’s views. Musk’s legal team defended the effort as an exercise in political expression, given that participants had signed a petition supporting constitutional rights to free speech and bear arms.
More than a million voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan have registered for the sweepstakes by signing this petition. However, DA Krasner has raised concerns about the potential long-term use of participants’ personal information, claiming they were “scammed for their information,” with the PAC retaining data well beyond election day.
