Elon Musk’s $1m gift of US votes to go ahead, Pennsylvania judge rules | 2024 US Election News

The Democratic Alliance’s top lawmaker says it’s a gift to states that might decide the US election is a ‘fraud’.

A $1m daily voter sweepstakes run by a political party founded by billionaire Elon Musk can go ahead, a Pennsylvania state judge has ruled.

Last month, the world’s richest man announced that he would start donating to seven states that could decide the outcome of the 2024 United States election.

Musk’s offer was widely seen by many as an undisguised attempt to get more votes from Republican candidate Donald Trump, to whom Musk has thrown his verbal and financial support.

Musk gave $75m to America PAC, a political committee that has supported various Republican candidates, including former President Trump.

The winners were not ‘picked at random’

The CEO of Tesla has already given $16m to registered voters of the states who qualify for this offer by signing his political petition.

The decision by Pennsylvania Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta on Monday came after a dramatic day of testimony in state court in which Musk’s aides admitted to picking winners in the race based on who would be the best spokesperson for his super PAC agenda.

Earlier, the 53-year-old billionaire said the winners would be chosen anytime.

State Rep. Larry Krasner, a Democrat, called the process a scam “designed to influence the general election” and called for it to be shut down.

As it was, the judge found in favor of Musk and his America PAC.

Musk’s attorney, Chris Gober, said the final two before the presidential election will be announced in Arizona on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday.

“The $1 million recipients are not chosen by chance,” said Gober.

“We know exactly who will be announced as the recipient of $1 million today and tomorrow.”

‘They have been deceived’

Chris Young, director and treasurer of America PAC, testified that the recipients were screened in advance, to “feel their personality, [and] make sure that they were a person with compatible values” with the group.

Musk’s lawyers, defending the effort, called it “core political speech” because participants were asked to sign a petition endorsing the US Constitution.

More than a million people from seven battleground states — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan — signed up for the sweepstakes by signing a petition saying they support the right to free speech and bear arms, for the first time. two amendments to the US Constitution.

District Attorney Krasner questioned how the PAC could use its data, which it will have in the past for elections.

“They were led by their credentials,” Krasner said. “It has almost unlimited uses.”