Published on: November 4, 2024, 06:49h.
Last updated on: November 4, 2024, 06:49h.
Elon Musk’s contentious plan to give away $1 million daily to a chosen registered voter in swing states before the upcoming election is not considered a lottery. Musk’s attorney, Chris Gober, clarified to a judge in Pennsylvania on Monday that the winners are not selected by random chance.
Instead, they are carefully selected based on their “suitability” to represent Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC, America PAC.
The Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit against Musk and America PAC, alleging them of election fraud and running an unlawful lottery.
America PAC and Musk are deceiving Philadelphia citizens – and others in the Commonwealth (and other swing states in the upcoming election) – to provide their personal identifying information and make a political commitment in exchange for the chance to win $1 million,” the lawsuit stated.
“That is a lottery,” it claimed. “And it is indisputably an unlawful lottery.”
‘No Prize to be Won’
According to federal law, it is a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in prison to “pay or offer to pay or accept payment either for registration to vote or for voting.”
However, Judge Angelo Foglietta declined to halt the scheme on Monday, after Gober revealed details about how the so-called lottery operates.
“The $1 million recipients are not chosen by chance. We know exactly who will be announced as the $1 million recipient today and tomorrow,” Gober said, as per The Associated Press.
“There is no prize to be won, instead recipients must fulfill contractual obligations to serve as a spokesperson for the PAC,” he added, as reported by Reuters.
Gober also mentioned that the final prizes will be given to registered voters in Arizona and Michigan, not to anyone in Pennsylvania where the sweepstake originated.
Suitability to represent America PAC is often determined by personal stories, he added.
$16M Given Away
Musk had urged registered voters in crucial swing states to sign a petition in support of free speech and gun rights. One winner among the petition signatories would be randomly selected each day.
Thus far, America PAC has awarded 16 checks worth $1 million each to registered voters, with four going to residents of Pennsylvania.
On October 23, the Justice Department cautioned Musk and America PAC about potential violations of the law, leading to a 24-hour pause in announcing winners.
The lawsuit from the Pennsylvania DA’s Office was filed on October 28.
On Friday, Musk tried to transfer the lawsuit to a federal court, but the request was rejected.