Elon Musk has been sued by Philadelphia’s Democratic Party district attorney over his “illegal lottery scheme” to give away $1 million a day to swing state voters.
Larry Krasner filed a lawsuit seeking to block Musk’s vote grab, claiming it violates consumer protection laws, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Pennsylvania is deemed to be the most important of the battleground states targeted by the richest man in the world in his bid to get Donald Trump back into the White House and two PA residents were the first to receive windfalls. Musk has ignored warnings and doled out $9 million in daily giveaways that he said would carry on until election day on Nov. 5.
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Now Krasner’s lawsuit, lodged in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, could throw the future of the scheme into doubt.
Elon Musk has yet to comment on the suit.
Although the U.S. Justice Department has warned the tech billionaire that the controversial sweepstakes launched by his America PAC breaches laws banning offering inducements to voters, the lawsuit is the first legal challenge.
“America PAC and Musk must be stopped, immediately, before the upcoming Presidential Election on Nov. 5. That is because America PAC and Musk hatched their illegal lottery scheme to influence voters in that election,” the lawsuit says.
The sweepstakes are open to any registered voter from the seven swing states who have signed an America PAC petition supporting the First and Second Amendments.
Supporters insist Musk isn’t trying to influence the election outcome but critics say it appears the Tesla founder is handing out money in return for voter registrations, which would violate federal law.
