Philly DA Larry Krasner sues to stop Elon Musk’s $1 million voter giveaway

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner filed suit on Monday to halt Elon Musk’s $1 million daily giveaway to voters in battleground states like Pennsylvania, referring to the scheme as an illegal lottery that violates election and consumer protection laws. 

The suit, filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Monday morning, states that Krasner is “protecting the public from public nuisances and unfair trade practices” and “protecting the public from interference with the integrity of elections.”

Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual and a Republican mega-donor who has made numerous stops in Pennsylvania campaigning for former President Donald Trump, said he would give away $1 million each day to a random town hall attendee who signs the America PAC petition affirming their support of the First and Second Amendment to the Constitution. 

Musk described Pennsylvania as a “linchpin” in this election and said the formation of his America PAC comes during an election that puts the country at a “fork in the road of destiny.” 

Musk’s scheme alarmed many in the commonwealth, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, who warned that the amount of dark money deployed in this election cycle is “deeply concerning.” 

“I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race. How the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania, but apparently, now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said last Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”

“America PAC and Musk must be stopped, immediately, before the upcoming Presidential Election on Nov. 5,” Krasner’s lawsuit read. “That is because America PAC and Musk hatched their illegal lottery scheme to influence voters in that election.”

Krasner’s suit is the first legal action challenging the controversial sweepstakes launched by Musk’s America PAC earlier this month. It also comes a week after the U.S. Justice Department warned the tech billionaire that the giveaway violates federal laws banning inducements to voters. 

Musk has continued his efforts despite the controversy, with his PAC giving away more than $9 million to date. Nearly half of the giveaway funds have gone to Pennsylvania voters. 

Krasner has made the case that America PAC is violating several consumer protection laws, including failing to publish detailed lottery rules, failing to demonstrate how it is protecting the personal information of participants, and failing to ensure the contest’'s fairness. 

“Though Musk says that a winner’s selection is ‘random,’ that appears to be false,” the lawsuit says. “Multiple winners that have been selected are individuals who have shown up at Trump rallies in Pennsylvania.”