Philadelphia DA Sues to Stop Musk's $1M Voter Giveaway
Facts
- Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and his America PAC, seeking to halt a $1M daily giveaway to registered voters in swing states.[1]
- The lawsuit alleges that the giveaway is an 'illegal lottery scheme' that violates Pennsylvania's consumer protection laws and could interfere with the integrity of elections.[2]
- To be eligible for the giveaway, voters must sign a petition pledging support for the First and Second Amendments, with winners selected randomly from seven swing states.[3]
- The US Department of Justice has warned that the sweepstakes could violate federal election law, which prohibits offering anything of value to influence voting.[4][5]
- Musk's America PAC has already awarded approximately $10M to petition signers from Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Musk has given around $118.6M to the pro-Trump PAC as of Oct. 16.[4][6]
- A hearing on Krasner's request for an emergency injunction is scheduled for Friday, just four days before the Nov. 5 presidential election.[7]
Sources: [1]Newsweek, [2]Documentcloud, [3]Verity, [4]Independent, [5]Daily Mail, [6]Forbes and [7]Business Insider.
Narratives
- Republican narrative, as provided by FOX News. Musk's million-dollar giveaway is a clever way to raise awareness about the election and support for constitutional rights. It's not influencing votes since winners are chosen randomly and have already registered. Democrats are just trying to stop it because they're worried about losing steam in the campaign.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by Washington Post. This is a blatant attempt to influence the election in swing states. The giveaway targets registered voters in specific battleground areas, incentivizing voter registration and potentially swaying the outcome. It's an unregulated lottery that violates state laws and threatens the integrity of the democratic process.