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Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, filed
suit Monday to stop the America PAC sweepstakes, which is set to
run through Election Day. Judge Angelo Foglietta will hear
motions on the issue in a City Hall courtroom.
Matthew Haverstick, one of several lawyers representing the
defendants, declined to say late Wednesday if Musk would attend
the hearing.
The sweepstakes is open to people in battleground states who
sign a petition supporting the Constitution.
Krasner has said he could still consider criminal charges,
saying he is tasked with protecting the public from both illegal
lotteries and “interference with the integrity of elections.”
Election law experts have raised questions about whether it
violates federal law barring someone from paying others to vote.
Musk has cast the money as both a prize as well as earnings for
work as a spokesperson for the group.
Krasner, in the suit, said that America PAC and Musk “are
indisputably violating Pennsylvania’s statutory prohibitions
against illegal lotteries and deceiving consumers.”
Both Trump and Harris have made repeated visits to the state as
they fight for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes.
Musk, who founded SpaceX and Tesla and owns X, has gone all in
on Trump this election, saying he thinks civilization is at
stake if he loses. He is undertaking much of the
get-out-the-vote effort for Trump through his super PAC, which
can raise and spend unlimited sums of money.
He has committed more than $70 million to the super PAC to help
Trump and other Republicans win in November.
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