Philadelphia prosecutor says he’s suing Elon Musk’s America PAC over his $1 million giveaway

The Philadelphia District Attorney filed a motion to dismiss the case. Elon Musk $1 million giveaway as part of his political organization’s efforts to support Donald Trump Russian presidential campaign.

The lawsuit by Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner is the first lawsuit brought in connection with the American PAC lottery, which is offering $1 million every day through Nov. 5 to a person in a battleground state who signs a petition supporting the Constitution.

Krasner’s office said the lawsuit, filed just over a week before Election Day, does not rule out the possibility of criminal prosecution.

“The Philadelphia District Attorney is charged with protecting the public from public nuisance and unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries. The district attorney also has a responsibility to protect the public from interference with the integrity of elections,” Krasner’s office said in a statement posted on his website.

A representative of the billionaire tech mogul’s America PAC, emailed seeking comment on the lawsuit and asking whether cash rewards would continue to be paid out, responded with a link to an X-post showing the latest $1 million winner holding a huge check.

Krasner’s office did not immediately respond to questions about the lawsuit, including whether it forces Musk to immediately stop the giveaways or whether the dispute can be resolved before Election Day.

Reflecting the state’s importance in the election, both Harris and Trump have made multiple visits to Pennsylvania recently, including Trump’s photo op at suburb of Philadelphia McDonald’s and Harris Sunday visit to the city this included stops at a church and a hair salon.

Musk’s prize fund requires participants to sign a petition in support of the First and Second Amendments and also encourages them to serve as representatives of the organization as a condition of winning.

The awards continued after the adoption of the election law experts asked questions that it violates federal law that prohibits anyone from paying a person to vote or register to vote. The problem, they say, is that to receive the award, participants must be registered to vote in one of the few battleground states. Musk described the money as both a prize and salary for his work as a spokesman for the group.

In his statement announcing the lawsuit, Krasner characterized the $1 million prize as a “lottery,” which would make it more heavily regulated than if it were a prize or job-related.

Krasner’s lawsuit, filed in Pennsylvania court, does not directly apply to other swing states where residents are eligible to receive $1 million.

Musk, who founded SpaceX And Tesla and owns X, has gone all-in with Trump this election, saying he believes civilization will be at stake if he loses. He conducts much of his efforts to get votes for Trump through his super PAC, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money. He committed over $70 million to Super PAC to help Trump and other Republicans win in November.