5-11-2024 (PENNSYLVANIA) A Pennsylvania court has delivered a significant ruling in favour of Elon Musk’s America PAC, allowing the controversial $1 million-per-day giveaway to swing state voters to continue, despite serious concerns about its legality and selection process.
During Monday’s dramatic court proceedings, Judge Angelo Foglietta rejected Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s attempt to halt the programme, which has already distributed $16 million to voters across crucial battleground states. The ruling comes just one day before the highly anticipated presidential contest between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
The hearing took an unexpected turn when Chris Young, America PAC’s director, revealed that winners were not randomly selected – contradicting Musk’s public statements – but rather chosen based on their potential as spokespersons for the organisation’s pro-Trump agenda.
The contest, launched on 19th October, targets registered voters in seven key states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – who sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights. The programme has already announced an Arizona winner, with a final Michigan recipient scheduled for Election Day.
District Attorney Krasner, who filed the lawsuit on 28th October, argued the initiative constituted an illegal lottery with unclear rules. However, Musk’s legal team, led by Andy Taylor, countered that the payments represented compensation for promotional services rather than prize money.
The controversy deepened when court evidence included footage of Musk at a Trump rally describing the selection process as random, directly contradicting his organisation’s courtroom testimony. Young admitted being “surprised” by Musk’s characterisation and confirmed winners were bound by non-disclosure agreements.
Legal experts remain divided over whether the programme violates federal laws prohibiting payment for voter registration. While the US Department of Justice has reportedly warned America PAC about potential legal issues, no federal action has been taken.
Musk, who has emerged as a prominent Trump supporter and contributed nearly $120 million to America PAC’s voter mobilisation efforts, maintains a significant influence over the campaign through his social media platform X and financial contributions.
The ruling’s timing is particularly crucial as Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes could prove decisive in determining which candidate reaches the required 270 electoral votes for victory. Judge Foglietta indicated that detailed reasoning for the decision would follow in a subsequent written opinion.
The case has sparked intense debate about campaign finance laws and electoral integrity, with prosecutor John Summers describing the initiative as potentially “one of the greatest scams of the last 50 years” if the selection process details prove accurate.
