Musk summoned to court for $1 million giveaways to voters
Photo: Billionaire Elon Musk (Getty Images)
Billionaire Elon Musk has recently promised to pay $1 million a day to a random person for supporting his petition until the day of the US election. Now he has to appear in court, according to Reuters.
According to Reuters, the court ordered all parties, including Musk, to attend a hearing on Thursday in Philadelphia. The case relates to a lawsuit aimed at preventing Musk's political action committee from distributing $1 million to registered voters in battleground states before the election on November 5.
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office filed the lawsuit on Monday, calling Musk's America PAC giveaway, which supports presidential candidate Donald Trump, an "illegal lottery" that tempted Pennsylvania residents to share personal information.
"It is further ordered that all parties must be present at the time of the hearing," the judge wrote in the order.
The hearing was rescheduled from Friday to Thursday morning.
Representatives for America PAC and Musk did not respond to requests for comment.
What preceded
A week and a half ago, Elon Musk pledged to randomly give $1 million daily to anyone who signs his online petition advocating for free speech and gun rights. He specified that the giveaways would continue until November 5, the US presidential election day.
Legal experts consulted by Reuters last week were divided on whether this giveaway violates laws that make it a crime to pay or offer to pay someone for voter registration.
Last week, CNN reported that the Department of Justice sent a letter to America PAC warning that the billionaire's gift distribution to registered voters who signed his petition may violate federal law.
Meanwhile, Trump's campaign heavily relies on outside groups to mobilize voters. This means that the super PAC founded by the world's wealthiest person, Elon Musk, plays a significant role in what is expected to be a highly contested election.
