US judge rejects bid to block Musk's $1 million election giveaways

A Pennsylvania judge declined on Monday to halt billionaire Elon Musk’s $1 million giveaways to registered voters in US election battleground states.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, sued Musk and his pro-Trump political action committee, America PAC, last week, calling the $1 million awards “an illegal lottery scheme.”

Krasner had asked that the daily giveaways be shut down, but Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta declined to do so after a daylong hearing on Monday featuring Musk’s lawyers and prosecutors.

Foglietta did not immediately provide a reason for his decision, though no more giveaways were planned in Pennsylvania.

Musk did not attend Monday’s hearing.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO promised last month to give away $1 million daily until Election Day. According to the America PAC website, 16 people, including four in Pennsylvania, have received the $1 million awards so far.

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The Justice Department warned Musk and his America PAC last month that the sweepstakes may violate federal law, which prohibits paying people to register to vote.

Musk, 53, who also owns X, formerly Twitter, has thrown his millions, time and considerable influence into backing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump since endorsing him in July.

Musk, the world’s richest man, has reportedly donated at least $118 million to his political action committee, an organization which collects funds for elections.

He has also appeared on stage with Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and hosted a series of town halls on his own in the eastern state, seen as critical in Tuesday’s election.

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Musk, who previously supported Barack Obama but has become increasingly conservative in recent years, peppers his 202 million followers on X daily with messages championing Trump and denigrating his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.