The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office sued Tesla CEO Elon Musk on his political action committees $1 million a day as a gift to registered voters in Swing stateson the grounds that it violated consumer protection laws and was designed to interfere in the upcoming presidential election.
Under the program, voters in swing states could be eligible to win a daily cash prize of $1 million by Election Day if they do so sign a petition in support of the First and Second Amendments – free speech and gun rights. Philadelphia District Attorney Lawrence Krasner requested an immediate injunction to prevent America PAC and Musk from operating an “illegal lottery” and engaging in fraudulent practices in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Monday’s lawsuit names both Musk and his America PAC as defendants.
Musk announced the million-dollar prize at a campaign event earlier this month. It was clear to Krasner that the competition was a lottery that must be regulated by the state under Pennsylvania law. Because Musk’s giveaway was not approved by the PA, it violated the law, according to legal documents.
“It is undeniably an unlawful lottery,” the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas filing states.
The filing also alleges possible violations of consumer protection laws, citing the PAC’s use of “deceptive, vague or misleading statements that create a risk of confusion or misunderstanding.” The DA’s office cited examples such as the sweepstakes, which failed to publish complete rules and consumer privacy information. The lawsuit also accuses the PAC of not randomly selecting its winners.
“America PAC and Musk must be stopped immediately before the upcoming presidential election on November 5th,” the lawsuit says. “That’s because America PAC and Musk concocted their illegal lottery scheme to influence voters in this election.”
America PAC did not respond to a request for comment.
At a Trump campaign event last week, Musk made it clear that the prize was not intended as compensation for registering to vote. “It’s really a petition in support of the Constitution of the United States and specifically freedom of speech and the right to bear arms,” Musk said said.
On Monday, Krasner said it was his office’s responsibility to protect the public from illegal business practices and protect elections. “The Philadelphia District Attorney is charged with protecting the public from public nuisances and unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries,” Krasner said in a statement. “The prosecutor’s office is also tasked with protecting the public from interference with the integrity of elections.”
Musk has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump in the current election. The world’s richest man has repeatedly campaigned with the former president and used his vast wealth to help with things like… Grassroots organization And Buys an ad. Musk at least gave the America PAC 119 million dollars until the beginning of October.
This isn’t the first time the PAC’s $1 million donation has drawn attention from government lawyers. Last week, the Justice Department sent Musk a letter warning him that the move could be a problem Violation of federal law.
The America PAC also ran afoul of state officials North Carolina And Michigantwo swing states. A CNBC The investigation found that the company improperly collected information about voters when it promised to register them to vote but never did so. Both states briefly investigated Musk’s PAC, which then updated its website to address the issue.