Elon Musk can keep giving $1m to voters -Judge
A judge has ruled that Elon Musk’s political group, America PAC, can continue giving $1 million (£722,000) to voters in swing states, despite legal challenges. The giveaway, which is scheduled to end on Tuesday, will see its final recipient determined in advance, according to a lawyer for the billionaire.
The program, which was initially believed to involve a lottery-style selection process, has drawn controversy. A lawyer for Musk revealed in court that the recipients were not randomly chosen but had been pre-selected by the group.
Philadelphia District Attorney Lawrence Krasner had filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the initiative, which he argued was an illegal lottery. Musk had announced that he would award $1 million each day to a voter in a swing state leading up to Election Day.
In a ruling issued shortly after the hearing, Pennsylvania Judge Angelo Foglietta did not provide an immediate explanation for his decision. However, Musk’s lawyer, Chris Gober, confirmed that the recipients were hand-picked. He also revealed that the final recipient of the giveaway would be a voter from Michigan.
On Monday, America PAC announced that a man named Joshua from Arizona had received the $1 million for that day. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the group stated, “Every day until Election Day, a person who signs will be selected to earn $1M as a spokesperson for America PAC.”
When Musk first revealed the initiative last month, many believed the money would be distributed through a random drawing of registered voters who had signed a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Musk had described it as a “random” giveaway during a campaign event.
The U.S. Department of Justice later raised concerns that the campaign might violate election laws prohibiting payments for voter registration. Krasner’s office filed a lawsuit to stop it.
Musk, a vocal supporter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, has been actively campaigning for Trump in swing states, particularly Pennsylvania, where polls suggest a tight race between Trump and Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.
A lawyer from Krasner’s office told Reuters that Gober’s statement in court amounted to an “admission of liability.” During the hearing, prosecutors played a video of Musk stating that all the recipients would be expected to serve as spokespeople for America PAC.
Chris Young, director of America PAC, defended the initiative, stating that recipients were carefully vetted to ensure their values aligned with those of the group. He added that winners must sign non-disclosure agreements preventing them from publicly discussing the terms of the giveaway.
Musk did not attend Monday’s court hearing
In other news, Joe Rogan released a nearly three-hour interview with Musk on his podcast on Monday. In a post promoting the episode on X, Rogan stated that he would be endorsing former President Donald Trump, adding that Musk made “the most compelling case for Trump” and that he agreed with him on every point.
