A judge in Philadelphia has ruled that Elon Musk's America PAC can continue its million-dollar giveaway to registered voters in swing states.
Judge Angelo Foglietta of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas denied District Attorney Larry Krasner’s request for an injunction to halt the giveaway, which has already distributed $17 million to voters across key swing states. Defense attorneys for America PAC indicated that the PAC plans to announce the 18th and final prize winner in Michigan on Tuesday.
The ruling followed a nearly six-hour hearing on Monday, during which an attorney representing Musk and America PAC revealed that the winners had actually been preselected—contrary to Musk's public statements that the selection was a "random" lottery.
An attorney for Krasner, John Summers, criticized the giveaway as a "deception" targeting more than a million swing state voters, who were reportedly encouraged to sign a petition for the chance to win a million dollars. "There is nothing random about that process," Summers argued, calling it "a profound, devastating and widespread deception."
Summers claimed that Musk aimed to "influence the election" by encouraging hundreds of thousands to sign the petition, while secretly preselecting winners based on their "suitability" as spokespeople for America PAC. He contended that, random or not, such a giveaway violates Pennsylvania law.
Andy Taylor, representing Musk’s America PAC, countered that the DA's argument lost ground after the disclosure that winners were preselected. "It’s an opportunity to earn, not a chance to win," Taylor said, stressing that the winners’ selection hinged on their roles as PAC spokespeople.
