Philadelphia district attorney sues Musk over controversial $1 million giveaway

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner  (D) on Monday sued Elon Musk  and America PAC, the billionaire’s pro-Trump super PAC, over their daily $1 million giveaways to registered swing state voters.

“The Philadelphia District Attorney is charged with protecting the public from public nuisances and unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries. The DA is also charged with protecting the public from interference with the integrity of elections,” The Hill quoted Krasner as saying in a statement.

“Today, the Philadelphia DA filed a civil legal action under Pennsylvania law,” he added.

“This civil action neither precludes nor requires potential future action under Pennsylvania criminal law. The Philadelphia DA will litigate the factual allegations and legal arguments that underlie today’s filing on the record and in court,” Krasner was quoted as saying.

America PAC launched its giveaways earlier this month, distributing $1 million checks daily to registered voters in seven swing states, including Pennsylvania.

The first three winners were from Pennsylvania, where Musk has recently focused his efforts on supporting former President Trump.

The sweepstakes have attracted scrutiny, including a letter from the Department of Justice (DOJ) warning America PAC that the giveaways could potentially violate federal laws against paying individuals to register to vote.

Despite the DOJ’s warning, the super PAC has continued the $1 million giveaways, having distributed nine checks to voters in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona.

With inputs from agencies