PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A lawyer for Elon Musk’s political action committee told a judge in Philadelphia on Monday that the so-called winners of his $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes in swing states haven’t won by chance but instead were selected to be paid “spokespeople” for the group.
GOP lawyer Chris Gober also said that the final recipients will be in Arizona on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday, so continuing the giveaways won’t affect the Pennsylvania election. He stated that recipients are chosen based on their personal stories and must sign a contract with the political organization, America PAC.
“The $1 million recipients are not chosen by chance,” Gober said Monday. “We know exactly who will be announced as the $1 million recipient today and tomorrow.”
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner believes that this violates state election law and contradicts what Musk promised when he announced the giveaways during an appearance with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 19: “We’re going to be awarding a million dollars randomly to people who have signed the petition every day from now until the election,” Musk vowed.
In testimony Monday afternoon, Krasner’s lawyer grilled a PAC official on the use of the words “chance” as well as “randomly.” Musk used both terms to describe the giveaways.
Chris Young, the PAC’s treasurer, acknowledged he was surprised that Musk announced the prizes would be awarded “randomly.”
“It’s not the word I would have selected,” he said. He indicated that he knew ahead of time who the recipients would be and that the individuals at least knew they would be called on stage – but were not specifically told they would win the money.
In an Oct. 20 social media post shown in court, Musk said anyone signing the petition had “a daily chance of winning $1M!”
Gober argued Monday that the word “randomly” is not synonymous with “chance,” a statement Krasner called “absurd.”
Musk did not attend the hearing, held on the day before the presidential election. He has committed more than $70 million to the super PAC to help Trump and other Republicans win in November.
Krasner took the witness stand Monday and called the sweepstakes a scam as he asked Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta to shut it down.
“This was all a political marketing masquerading as a lottery,” Krasner testified. “That’s what it is. A grift.”
Lawyers for Musk and the PAC stated they do not plan to extend the lottery beyond Tuesday. Krasner mentioned that the first three winners, starting on Oct. 19, came from Pennsylvania in the days leading up to the state’s Oct. 21 voter registration deadline.
Other winners came from battleground states of Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan. It remains unclear if any of the winners have received the money yet. The PAC pledged they would get it by Nov. 30, according to an exhibit shown in court.
More than 1 million people from the seven states have registered for the sweepstakes by signing a petition supporting the right to free speech and to bear arms, as outlined in the first two amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Krasner questioned how the PAC might utilize their data, which it will retain well past the election.
“They were scammed for their information,” Krasner said. “It has almost unlimited use.”
Krasner’s lawyer, John Summers, stated Musk is “the heartbeat of America PAC,” and is the person announcing the winners and presenting the checks.
Krasner has indicated he may still consider criminal charges, as he’s tasked with protecting both lotteries and the integrity of elections. In the lawsuit, he claimed the defendants are “indisputably violating” Pennsylvania’s lottery laws.
Pennsylvania remains a key battleground state, holding 19 electoral votes, with both Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris having visited the state repeatedly, including planned stops in the final hours of the campaign.
Krasner — who noted that he has long driven a Tesla — said he could also seek civil damages for the Pennsylvania registrants. Musk owns Tesla, along with the social media platform X, where America PAC has published posts on the sweepstakes, and the rocket company SpaceX.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A lawyer for Elon Musk’s political action committee told a judge in Philadelphia on Monday that the so-called winners of his $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes in swing states haven’t won by chance but instead were selected to be paid “spokespeople” for the group.
GOP lawyer Chris Gober also said that the final recipients will be in Arizona on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday, so continuing the giveaways won’t affect the Pennsylvania election. He stated that recipients are chosen based on their personal stories and must sign a contract with the political organization, America PAC.
“The $1 million recipients are not chosen by chance,” Gober said Monday. “We know exactly who will be announced as the $1 million recipient today and tomorrow.”
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner believes that this violates state election law and contradicts what Musk promised when he announced the giveaways during an appearance with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 19: “We’re going to be awarding a million dollars randomly to people who have signed the petition every day from now until the election,” Musk vowed.
In testimony Monday afternoon, Krasner’s lawyer grilled a PAC official on the use of the words “chance” as well as “randomly.” Musk used both terms to describe the giveaways.
Chris Young, the PAC’s treasurer, acknowledged he was surprised that Musk announced the prizes would be awarded “randomly.”
“It’s not the word I would have selected,” he said. He indicated that he knew ahead of time who the recipients would be and that the individuals at least knew they would be called on stage – but were not specifically told they would win the money.
In an Oct. 20 social media post shown in court, Musk said anyone signing the petition had “a daily chance of winning $1M!”
Gober argued Monday that the word “randomly” is not synonymous with “chance,” a statement Krasner called “absurd.”
Musk did not attend the hearing, held on the day before the presidential election. He has committed more than $70 million to the super PAC to help Trump and other Republicans win in November.
Krasner took the witness stand Monday and called the sweepstakes a scam as he asked Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta to shut it down.
“This was all a political marketing masquerading as a lottery,” Krasner testified. “That’s what it is. A grift.”
Lawyers for Musk and the PAC stated they do not plan to extend the lottery beyond Tuesday. Krasner mentioned that the first three winners, starting on Oct. 19, came from Pennsylvania in the days leading up to the state’s Oct. 21 voter registration deadline.
More than 1 million people from the seven states have registered for the sweepstakes by signing a petition supporting the right to free speech and to bear arms, as outlined in the first two amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Krasner questioned how the PAC might utilize their data, which it will retain well past the election.
Krasner’s lawyer, John Summers, stated Musk is “the heartbeat of America PAC,” and is the person announcing the winners and presenting the checks.
“He was the one who presented the checks, albeit large cardboard checks. We don’t really know if there are any real checks,” Summers remarked.
Krasner has indicated he may still consider criminal charges, as he’s tasked with protecting both lotteries and the integrity of elections. In the lawsuit, he claimed the defendants are “indisputably violating” Pennsylvania’s lottery laws.
Pennsylvania remains a key battleground state, holding 19 electoral votes, with both Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris having visited the state repeatedly, including planned stops in the final hours of the campaign.
Krasner — who noted that he has long driven a Tesla — said he could also seek civil damages for the Pennsylvania registrants. Musk owns Tesla, along with the social media platform X, where America PAC has published posts on the sweepstakes, and the rocket company SpaceX.
Hree winners, starting on Oct. 19, came from Pennsylvania in the days leading up to the state’s voter registration deadline. Other winners were reported from key battleground states including Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan. However, it remains uncertain whether any of the winners have actually received their prize money yet, although the PAC has pledged that they would receive it by Nov. 30, as noted in court documents.
More than 1 million participants from these seven states have registered for the sweepstakes by signing a petition advocating for the right to free speech and the right to bear arms, aligning with the first two amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Krasner raised concerns regarding how the PAC might utilize the data collected from these participants, suggesting that it could be used beyond the election period and potentially exploitative in nature.
Krasner’s attorney expressed that Musk is the primary figure behind the America PAC and is responsible for announcing the winners and presenting their awards. In light of the controversy surrounding the giveaways, Krasner has indicated the possibility of criminal charges as part of his role in safeguarding both lotteries and election integrity in Pennsylvania. He cited the allegations that the defendants are fundamentally violating the state’s lottery laws.
Pennsylvania, a pivotal battleground state with 19 electoral votes, has seen significant campaign activity, with both Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris campaigning intensively in the lead-up to the election. Krasner, who is a current Tesla owner, has revealed that he may pursue civil damages for participants in the sweepstakes who feel misled. Musk’s association with the America PAC brings significant attention to the legal and ethical implications surrounding the sweepstakes and the broader electoral influence of political action committees.