Judge allows Musk’s $1 million daily voter giveaway in Pennsylvania

Nov 05, 2024

Karah Rucker Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Reporter), Alex Delia (Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

A Pennsylvania judge ruled on Monday, Nov. 4, that Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day voter giveaway can continue, just one day before the presidential election. The decision followed heated testimony over whether the giveaway, backed by Musk’s pro-Trump political group, constitutes an illegal lottery.

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America PAC, Musk’s political action committee, has awarded $16 million so far to registered voters in battleground states, with participants required to sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights to enter.

Elon Musk stated that "people who say Trump is a threat to democracy are themselves a threat to democracy," which was cheered by a crowd. — Getty Images

Judge Angelo Foglietta ruled against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s attempt to block the daily payouts to swing state voters, saying he would release a detailed explanation later.

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In court, Krasner’s lawyers argued that the contest was fraudulent, claiming that winners were chosen not at random, as Musk initially advertised, but based on their potential as spokespeople for the PAC’s pro-Trump agenda.

Chris Young, director of America PAC, testified that winners were picked by reviewing videos and social media profiles, and that winners signed non-disclosure agreements barring them from discussing terms of their selection.

Young also acknowledged being surprised when Musk referred to the contest as “random” during a public rally, despite the PAC’s active selection of individuals who would serve as spokespeople.

Musk’s lawyer, Andy Taylor, defended the contest as a means of supporting free speech and the right to bear arms, accusing Krasner of infringing on Pennsylvania citizens’ rights. The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly warned Musk’s PAC about potential violations of federal laws prohibiting incentives for voter registration, though no federal actions have been taken.

Musk, who became an outspoken Trump supporter this year, has donated nearly $120 million to America PAC for its voter mobilization efforts.

Tags: 2024 Elections, Disinformation, Dominion Voting Systems, Donald Trump, Early voting, Elon Musk, Kamala Harris, Mail-in voting, Misinformation, Pennsylvania, Proxy voting, Ranked choice voting, Social Media, Swing State, Voter fraud, Voter registration, Voting, Voting machines, Voting Rights Act, X

[Karah Rucker]

A PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE RULED IN FAVOR OF ELON MUSK, ALLOWING HIS CONTROVERSIAL 1-MILLION-DOLLAR-A-DAY VOTER GIVEAWAY TO CONTINUE. THE DECISION COMES AFTER INTENSE COURTROOM DEBATE OVER WHETHER THE GIVEAWAY, FUNDED BY MUSK’S PRO-TRUMP POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE, AMERICA PAC, IS AN ILLEGAL LOTTERY.

THE GIVEAWAY, LAUNCHED BY MUSK’S ‘AMERICA PAC’ LAST MONTH, HAS AWARDED 1-MILLION DOLLARS EACH DAY TO REGISTERED VOTERS IN SWING STATES WHO SIGN A PETITION SUPPORTING FREE SPEECH AND GUN RIGHTS. BUT ON MONDAY IN PHILADELPHIA… THE COURTROOM WAS PACKED AS MUSK’S LEGAL TEAM FOUGHT BACK AGAINST CLAIMS THE CONTEST MAY BE AN ILLEGAL LOTTERY… OR WORSE, A CASE OF POLITICAL FRAUD.

PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY LARRY KRASNER ARGUED THE CONTEST, WHICH HAS ALREADY HANDED OUT $16 MILLION, IS AN ILLEGAL LOTTERY WITH VAGUE RULES. THE D-A SAID AMERICA PAC HAD FALSELY CLAIMED THE WINNERS WERE SELECTED RANDOMLY, WHEN IN REALITY, THEY WERE CHOSEN BASED ON THEIR POTENTIAL AS SPOKESPEOPLE FOR THE PAC’S PRO-TRUMP AGENDA.

AMERICA PAC’S DIRECTOR ADMITTED THAT THE SELECTION PROCESS WASN’T RANDOM. INSTEAD… THE GROUP REVIEWED APPLICANTS’ SOCIAL MEDIA, VIDEOS, AND EVEN MET SOME IN PERSON TO ASSESS THEIR COMPATIBILITY WITH AMERICA PAC’S MESSAGING. AND EVEN MORE, WINNERS SIGNED NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS, BARRING THEM FROM TALKING PUBLICLY ABOUT THE CONTEST’S TERMS.

MUSK’S LAWYERS INSISTED THE GIVEAWAY IS A MEANS OF EXERCISING FREE SPEECH RIGHTS.

Chris Gober, America PAC attorney

‘Let me be clear about one thing… No district attorney, no prosecutor, I don’t care how powerful they are, can take away the First Amendment freedoms that are the bedrock of this nation.’

THE JUDGE ALLOWED THE CONTEST TO PROCEED, WITH THE FINAL MILLION DOLLAR WINNER SET TO BE ANNOUNCED ON ELECTION DAY. PENNSYLVANIA’S 19 ELECTORAL VOTES ARE CONSIDERED CRUCIAL, MAKING THIS GIVEAWAY A HIGH-STAKES LEGAL BATTLE IN AN INCREDIBLY CLOSE ELECTION.

THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REPORTEDLY WARNED ‘AMERICA PAC’ THAT THESE PAYOUTS COULD VIOLATE FEDERAL LAWS ON PAYING PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE, THOUGH FEDERAL PROSECUTORS HAVE YET TO TAKE ACTION.

THE JUDGE HAS SAID HE WILL RELEASE A MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION OF HIS RULING AT A LATER DATE.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M KARAH RUCKER.