The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has filed a lawsuit to halt Elon Musk and his political action committee, America PAC, from awarding $1 million to registered voters in swing states, calling it an “illegal lottery.”
District Attorney Larry Krasner’s lawsuit alleges Musk and America PAC are attempting to sway voters in the presidential race between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The suit, filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, names both Musk and America PAC as defendants. The move comes days after the U.S. Department of Justice warned America PAC that its $1 million daily sweepstakes might contravene federal election laws.
“America PAC and Elon Musk are running an illegal lottery in Philadelphia (as well as throughout Pennsylvania),” the suit states. It references an October 19 rally where Musk announced that any registered voter who submitted personal information and signed a pledge supporting the Constitution could be entered to win a $1 million prize. “That is a lottery,” the lawsuit argues, “And it is indisputably an unlawful lottery.”
The suit further claims that the PAC’s initiative violates consumer protection laws through “deceptive, vague or misleading statements that create a likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding.”
In a Monday statement, Krasner said, “The Philadelphia District Attorney is responsible for protecting the public from nuisances and unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries and interference with the integrity of elections.”
