The state’s top Democratic legal official says gift giving in states that decide US elections is a ‘scam’.
A Pennsylvania state judge has ruled that a $1ma-a-day voter sweepstakes run by a political group founded by billionaire Elon Musk can continue.
Last month, the world’s richest man announced that he would begin free delivery in seven battleground states that could decide the outcome of the United States 2024 election.
Musk’s gift has been widely seen by many as an inefficient attempt to secure additional votes for Republican candidate Donald Trump, behind whom Musk has lent his vocal and financial support.
Musk has given $75 million to America PAC, a political action committee that is funding various Republican candidates, including former President Trump.
Winners ‘not chosen by chance’
The Tesla CEO has already gifted $16 million to registered swing-state voters who qualified for the gift by signing his political petition.
The decision by Pennsylvania Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta came after a stunning day of testimony in a state court on Monday in which Musk’s allies admitted to choosing the contest winners on the basis that they were in line with their super PAC’s agenda. Who will be the best spokesperson for?
Earlier, the 53-year-old billionaire had claimed that the winners would be chosen randomly.
District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, called the process a scam “really designed to influence a national election” and called for it to be shut down.
Anyway, the judge ruled in favor of Musk and his America PAC.
Musk’s attorney Chris Gober said the final two recipients will be announced before the presidential election on Monday in Arizona and on Tuesday in Michigan.
“The $1 million recipients were not chosen by chance,” Gober said.
“We know exactly who will be announced as $1 million recipients today and tomorrow.”
‘They were deceived’
America PAC director and treasurer Chris Young testified that recipients were screened ahead of time, “to get a feel for their individuality, [and] Make sure they were someone whose values aligned with the group.
Musk’s lawyers defended the effort, calling it a “key political speech”, as participants were asked to sign a petition supporting the US Constitution.
More than 1 million people from seven battleground states — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan — have registered for the sweepstakes by signing a petition saying they support freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. Support the right to, the first of two amendments to the US Constitution.
District Attorney Krasner has questioned how the PAC can use its data, which it will have access to well in advance of the election.
“They were duped out of their information,” Krasner said. “Its uses are almost limitless.”
