Musk-Supported PAC Offers $1 Million Prize to Selected Voters…Judge Says Jurisdiction Needs to Be Determined
(New York=Yonhap News) Correspondent Lee Ji-heon = Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has initiated an event offering a daily prize of $1 million to encourage voter registration among conservatives in the United States, and it might continue until the presidential election.
According to reports from Reuters and other outlets on the 31st (local time), Judge Angelo Foglietta of the Pennsylvania District Court decided to suspend proceedings concerning the lawsuit requesting the halt of Musk’s prize event until a federal court determines jurisdiction over the case.
The plaintiff, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, argued at the hearing that America PAC had not announced clear rules regarding prize distribution and had not clearly disclosed voter privacy policies.
On the other hand, Musk’s side argued that the issue should fall under federal court jurisdiction and criticized the Philadelphia prosecutors for creating a “circus atmosphere” by naming Musk as a defendant.
Previously, on the 28th, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner filed a civil lawsuit in the Philadelphia District Court against Musk and the “America PAC”—a super PAC established to support former President Trump’s election—requesting to stop the prize distribution.
In a statement issued after filing the lawsuit, DA Krasner emphasized the responsibility to protect the public from unfair trading practices, including illegal lotteries, and to guard the public against disruptions to the integrity of elections.
This lawsuit by the Philadelphia DA’s office came after the U.S. Department of Justice warned on the 23rd that America PAC’s action of conducting a lottery to award $1 million to voters in swing states might violate federal law.
Musk had previously pledged to select one individual who signs a petition supporting the First Amendment (freedom of expression) and the Second Amendment (right to bear arms) in swing states and award them $1 million daily.
Eligibility for signing the petition is limited to registered voters in seven swing states: Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.