Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks throughout a city corridor occasion hosted by America PAC in help of former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on the Higher Philadelphia Expo Middle in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on October 18, 2024.
Ryan Collerd | Afp | Getty Pictures
The Philadelphia District Legal professional’s Workplace filed a lawsuit searching for to cease a political motion committee managed by billionaire Elon Musk from awarding $1 million to registered voters in swing states, accusing them of “working an unlawful lottery.”
The lawsuit by DA Larry Krasner, which accuses Musk and his American PAC of making an attempt to affect voters within the presidential election, comes days after the U.S. Division of Justice warned America PAC that its $1 million day by day sweepstakes may violate federal election legislation.
Krasner’s lawsuit in Philadelphia County Court docket of Widespread Pleas names each the Tesla CEO Musk and America PAC as defendants.
Musk is backing Republican nominee Donald Trump within the presidential election in opposition to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
“America PAC and Elon Musk are working an unlawful lottery in Philadelphia (in addition to all through Pennsylvania),” the go well with says.
The go well with notes that at an Oct. 19 marketing campaign rally, Musk introduced that if a registered voter turned over private figuring out data — handle, cellphone and e-mail handle — and signed a petition pledging help for the Structure, they’d be eligible to be chosen randomly for a $1 million prize.
“In different phrases, America PAC and Musk are lulling Philadelphia residents – and others within the Commonwealth (and different swing states within the upcoming election) – to surrender their private figuring out data and make a political pledge in change for the possibility to win $1 million,” the go well with says.
“That may be a lottery,” the go well with says. “And it’s indisputably an illegal lottery.”
The go well with says that below Pennsylvania legislation, all lotteries in that state have to be regulated by the state.
Musk’s lottery additionally violates Pennsylvania client safety legislation by “deploying misleading, obscure or deceptive statements that create a probability of confusion or misunderstanding,” the go well with says.
Krasner in a press release Monday mentioned, “The Philadelphia District Legal professional is charged with defending the general public from public nuisances and unfair commerce practices, together with unlawful lotteries.”
“The DA can be charged with defending the general public from interference with the integrity of elections,” Krasner mentioned.
Earlier this yr, America PAC was briefly investigated by the North Carolina Legal professional Common’s workplace and the Michigan Secretary of State’s workplace after CNBC revealed it was amassing private contact data of swing-state voters below the false pretense of serving to them register to vote.
In response to the inquiries, the PAC advised state officers it will repair a number of dead-end hyperlinks on its web site.– Further reporting by CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger
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