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In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a judge has approved a ruling that allows Elon Musk to pay $1 million a day to registered voters who are undecided in the Nov. 5 presidential election. This is reported by Reuters.
During a hearing Monday, Judge Angelo Foglietta rejected an attempt by District Attorney Larry Krasner to stop such payments. The prosecutor said it was an illegal lottery that violated state consumer protection laws because of unclear rules.
Experts are divided on whether Musk is violating federal law that prohibits paying citizens to participate in elections. The US Department of Justice has already warned the American Coalition Committee that this action may run afoul of federal law, but no public action has been taken so far.
Pennsylvania's role in the election
As Pennsylvania's largest city, Philadelphia is key in a state that could be decisive in the election between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris. A victory in Pennsylvania would give a candidate the 19 electoral votes needed to secure the 270 electoral votes needed to win.
Mask's political "lottery".
Since October 19, Musk and his political action committee, America PAC, have been handing out a $1 million check every day to voters who support his free speech and gun rights petition. The offer covers registered voters in seven key states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
According to Tesla, Musk has already given $16 million to swing voters who signed his political petition. He said that the final winner of the "lottery" will be announced on the election day, November 5.
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office filed a lawsuit, calling the America PAC prize giveaway an "illegal lottery" that encourages residents to share personal information. Last week, Musk tried to move the case to federal court, which temporarily delayed a decision on the lawsuit. However, a federal judge quickly sent the case back to the state, and a court hearing was held on November 4.
