A Philadelphia judge has scheduled a hearing for Thursday morning on a city prosecutor’s bid to halt Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day sweepstakes in key battleground states. The sweepstakes, run by Musk’s political organization, is aimed at supporting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
This follows a lawsuit filed Monday by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, to stop the America PAC sweepstakes, which is set to run through Election Day. Motions on the case will be heard by Judge Angelo Foglietta in a City Hall courtroom.
Matthew Haverstick, one of the attorneys representing the defendants, declined to comment late Wednesday on whether Musk would attend the hearing.
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The sweepstakes invites participants from battleground states who sign a petition supporting the Constitution. Krasner has indicated that criminal charges could be pursued, citing his responsibility to protect the public from illegal lotteries and “interference with the integrity of elections.”
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Election law experts have raised concerns that the sweepstakes may violate federal laws prohibiting payments to influence voting. Musk has described the funds as both a prize and compensation for spokesperson duties.
Krasner’s suit claims that America PAC and Musk are “indisputably violating Pennsylvania’s statutory prohibitions against illegal lotteries and deceiving consumers.”
Both Trump and Harris have made numerous visits to Pennsylvania, a pivotal state with 19 electoral votes, as they vie for support.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, has openly backed Trump in this year’s U.S. election, claiming civilization is at stake if Trump loses. His super PAC, which can raise and spend unlimited funds, has spearheaded much of Trump’s voter mobilization effort.
Recently, it was revealed that Musk has committed over $70 million to the PAC to support Trump and other Republicans in November.
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