A Pennsylvania judge ruled Thursday he would not immediately move to block Elon Musk’s daily $1 million giveaway to registered voters who sign a petition.
Musk, 53, was a no-show in court despite being ordered to appear on Thursday morning in downtown Philadelphia. Musk been trying to move his case to federal court, but it appears that won’t be necessary—at least, not before Election Day.
Judge Angelo Foglietta said he was pausing the lawsuit against Musk while a federal court considers whether to take up the case, Reuters reported.
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“American Justice FTW,” Musk posted on X to celebrate the news.
The ruling means Musk can continue dolling out millions to U.S. voters in swing states up until Election Day, a practice critics have likened to Musk buying votes for Donald Trump.
The money has been dispersed through Musk’s America PAC and is awarded to random voters who sign a petition backing free speech and gun rights. The giveaway’s first winner was announced on Oct. 19 at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with new winners being announced daily. The latest to become an instant millionaire was a woman named Dacey Moser from Fremont, North Carolina.
A lawsuit was filed Oct. 28 by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner that alleged the gifts were an “illegal lottery scheme to influence voters.” A legal battle has played out ever since on the legality of the massive giveaways, which appear to be unprecedented in U.S. politics.
Musk has become a fervent supporter of the former president in recent months. The richest man in the world, who’s worth an estimated $270.8 billion according to Forbes, has turned up to political rallies alongside Trump this month and has repeatedly championed the ex-president on X and has gone after his critics.
The brief court battle was sure to be a messy one had it played out. Reuters reported that Krasner had asked the court for added security ahead of the Musk hearings, claiming users on social media had posted an “avalanche” of hate toward him that included antisemitic attacks and his home address being shared.
Musk’s legal team argued that the lawsuit against him was a “publicity stunt” and not to be taken serious, which is perhaps why the billionaire didn’t turn up to his hearing on Thursday. Foglietta also weighed in on the matter, suggesting it was unreasonable to have Musk drop everything and head to Philadelphia.
“He’s not going to get in a rocket ship and take it to Philadelphia—let’s be serious here,” Foglietta said, according to Reuters. Those in attendance reportedly laughed at the quip.
Musk’s giveaway has been described as falling in a legal gray area. Still, the U.S. Department of Justice warned America PAC that the giveaway may violate federal law. There’s been no federal legal action taken against Musk as of Thursday, however.
Musk has become one of the 2024 election’s biggest donors, giving an eye-popping $120 million to America PAC in recent months. The PAC has been cutting checks to petition signers but also been paying for door-knockers that have become central to Trump’s ground game in swing states like Michigan.
