CNN —
Philadelphia’s district attorney on Monday asked a state judge to block controversial tech billionaire Elon Musk’s $1 million gift to registered voters as an “illegal lottery scheme.” I requested that.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, has filed a civil lawsuit against Musk and his pro-Trump group America PAC.
“America PAC and Musk deceived Philadelphians and the rest of the commonwealth (and other battleground states in the upcoming election) into giving up their personal identifying information in exchange for a chance to win $1 million and political “We are encouraging them to make a public pledge.” The lawsuit alleges. “It’s a lottery. And there’s no question it’s an illegal lottery.”
A spokesperson for Mr. Musk’s super PAC would not comment on the lawsuit, instead highlighting the group’s latest $1 million winner, a registered voter in Hastings, Michigan, announced Monday.
A judge has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Friday, and Mr. Krasner’s office may seek a speedy hearing, but Mr. Musk’s sweepstakes could continue at least through this week. Justice Anne Marie Coyle is a Republican.
In the lawsuit, Krasner’s office said that Pennsylvania law requires all lottery tickets to be “operated and administered by the state,” and that Musk’s daily $1 million giveaways fell outside legal guardrails. They argue that it must be discontinued because it is being operated by
“Musk says the selection of winners was ‘random,’ but that appears to be false because multiple winners chosen were individuals who showed up at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. “The lottery’s rules are deceptive,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit is based on Pennsylvania’s Lottery Act and Consumer Protection Act. Krasner said the lawsuit is not about state or federal laws prohibiting vote buying.
The U.S. Department of Justice also warned Musk’s super PAC that his donations could violate federal law that makes it a crime to offer cash to register to vote.
The X owner and Tesla CEO, who supports former President Donald Trump and has spent millions supporting his candidacy, is receiving bounties from political action committees aimed at increasing voter registration in battleground states. announced $1 million.
Mr. Musk’s initial promise to pay bounties to registered voters quickly raised concerns from election law experts and some state officials, who questioned whether he ran afoul of the law.
President Joe Biden said Monday that Musk’s giveaway to registered voters in battleground states was “totally inappropriate,” but he did not say whether it was illegal.
“Tell him I’m registered! It’s $1 million,” Biden joked in Delaware after taking questions from reporters.
When asked if he thought it was legal action or election interference, he became more serious, saying, “I think it’s totally inappropriate.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Nikki Carvajal contributed to this report.
