Billionaire Elon Musk was recently sued by Philadelphia Attorney General Larry Krasner for his $1 million daily reward program to attract voters in swing states in the US presidential election.
Krasner alleges that the scheme violated state lottery and consumer protection laws by “enticing Philadelphia residents to provide personal information and political commitments for the chance to win $1 million.”
The civil lawsuit is the first formal legal challenge Musk has faced over his rewards program. Legal experts have questioned the legality of the program since it was announced. Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice also sent a warning letter to Musk’s PAC, saying the program may violate federal law.
Elon Musk has promised to give $1 million a day to a randomly selected person from a list of free speech and gun rights signatories. To participate, the recipient must be a registered voter. The program does not require participants to vote for any specific candidate.
After the lawsuit was filed, a PAC spokesperson posted a message on social media confirming that the program would continue. Elon Musk’s attorney has not yet issued an official response.
Krasner said the rewards were not actually random and were not biased toward people who showed up at rallies. He also stressed that, although prosecutors typically handle criminal cases, they can file civil lawsuits when necessary to protect the public interest.
“The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is responsible for protecting the public from harmful conduct and unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries. At the same time, the office is also responsible for ensuring the integrity of elections,” said Attorney Krasner.
Elon Musk once supported Barack Obama but has now turned conservative, regularly sharing messages supporting Mr. Trump and criticizing his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, on social network X with its 202 million followers.
