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Philadelphia prosecutors say they are suing Elon Musk’s America PAC over the  million donation
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Philadelphia prosecutors say they are suing Elon Musk’s America PAC over the $1 million donation

The Philadelphia district attorney filed a lawsuit to stop it Elon Musk his $1 million gifts as part of an effort to boost his political organization Donald Trump his presidential campaign.

The action by Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner is the first legal action brought in connection with the PAC sweepstakes in America, offering $1 million each day through Nov. 5 to a person in an embattled state who signed a petition supporting the Constitution.

Krasner’s office said the trial, which took place a little more than a week before Election Day, did not rule out potential criminal action.

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

A spokesman for the billionaire tech mogul’s America PAC, emailed for comment on the lawsuit and asking if the cash prizes would continue, responded with a link to an X post showing that the most recent winner of $1 million held an oversized check.

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

Reflecting the state’s importance in the election, both Harris and Trump have made numerous recent visits to Pennsylvania, including a Trump photo op at a suburban Philadelphia McDonald’s and Harris’s Sunday visit to the city which included stops at a church and a barber shop.

Musk’s accommodation requires participants to sign a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments to the Constitution and requires them to serve as spokespersons for the organization as a condition of winning.

The awards continued according to the electoral law experts raised questions that it violates federal law that prohibits someone from paying someone to vote or register to vote. The problem, they say, is that winning the prize requires contestants to be registered to vote in one of the few battleground states. Musk distributed the money as both a prize and earnings for work as the group’s spokesperson.

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

Filed in Pennsylvania court, Krasner’s lawsuit does not directly apply to the other swing states whose residents are eligible for the million dollars.

Musk, who founded SpaceX and adze and owns X, has gone all in with Trump in this election, saying he believes civilization is at stake if he loses. He’s doing much of his get-out-the-vote effort for Trump through his super PAC, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money. It was committed over $70 million to super PACs to help Trump and other Republicans win in November.

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