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Philadelphia DA sues Elon Musk’s America PAC over  million in ‘illegal’ gifts
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Philadelphia DA sues Elon Musk’s America PAC over $1 million in ‘illegal’ gifts

Elon Musk’s million-dollar daily giveaway to voters in battleground states may be about to be shut down in Pennsylvania.

Democratic Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner filed a lawsuit Monday to stop what he described as an “illegal” lottery run by Musk’s America PAC, which he launched in May to help the former president’s campaign Donald Trump.

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“The Philadelphia District Attorney is charged with protecting the public from public nuisances and unfair business practices, including illegal lotteries,” Krasner said. in a statement. “The prosecutor’s office is also charged with protecting the public from interference with the integrity of elections.”

“Today, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office filed a civil action under Pennsylvania law,” Krasner continued. “This civil action neither precludes nor requires potential future action under Pennsylvania criminal law. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office will challenge the factual allegations and legal arguments underlying today’s filing in the docket and in court.”

Musk’s lottery offered a $1 million daily prize to registered voters in swing states who sign his political action committee’s petition supporting the First and Second Amendments to the US Constitution.

But is the lottery legal?

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Brendan Fischer, a campaign finance expert and deputy executive director of investigative watchdog Documented, explained why he thinks the lottery may be breaking the law.

“The problem is not that Elon Musk is encouraging people to sign up, which is fine,” Fischer said. “But that he can pay people to sign up or make payments conditional; makes these payments conditional on their registration, and that seems to violate the law.”

Some checks have already been given to the winners, including Kristine Fishell, who praised Musk for the “wealth and responsibility” he is using to “save the discourse.”

“What this may represent is the next frontier of money and politics,” she added, “where billionaires give money directly to voters in exchange for their registration and possibly their vote.”