Pennsylvania judge ordered Elon Musk to attend an emergency court hearing in Philadelphia on Thursday regarding the lawsuit that aims to stop the billionaire from distributing $1 million prizes to swing state voters every day. The order was in response to a lawsuit filed by the office of Philadelphia-area prosecutor Larry Krasner, who accused Musk’s campaign organization, America PAC, of running an illegal lottery by randomly offering $1 million to registered voters in battleground states to influence voters in the presidential election where the super PAC supports the Republican 2024 presidential candidate, former President Trump.
According to the plan, the activities of America PAC will continue until November 5, the US Election Day. The judge’s order stated that all parties involved must attend the hearing.
The order was issued following a request by Krasner’s lawyers, who asked the judge to mandate the presence of all parties, including Krasner, a representative from America PAC, and Musk himself.
Krasner’s lawyers stated in a court document that after the prosecutor filed the lawsuit on Monday, Musk agreed with a user on his social media platform X who claimed that the prosecutor knew the $1 million daily prize “isn’t illegal, but hoped a left-wing judge would block it before Election Day.”
These lawyers claimed that Krasner’s lawsuit triggered a wave of Musk’s supporters posting on social media, with many launching “anti-Semitic attacks” against Krasner.
The hearing was originally scheduled for Friday morning but was moved up to Thursday morning following a request by Krasner’s lawyers.
Musk announced the lottery at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on October 19, where he presented a $1 million check to a participant. Participants in the event were required to sign a petition pledging support for the First and Second Amendments of the US Constitution, which safeguard freedom of speech and the right to bear arms respectively.
However, the lottery has sparked controversy, with some legal experts suggesting that the daily raffle may violate federal election laws prohibiting payment for voter registration, as Musk’s super PAC website’s terms specify that only registered voters from seven swing states are eligible to sign the petition.
Reportedly, the US Department of Justice warned the PAC last Wednesday, leading to a one-day halt in the activity. However, the following day, the lottery resumed and announced two winners. The legality of this activity remains in dispute, with no definitive conclusion in the legal community.