Additional Coverage:
- Philadelphia DA doubts Musk’s $1M-a-day giveaway ‘winners’ got anything besides ‘big cardboard checks’ (newsbreak.com)
A Philadelphia judge has ruled in favor of Elon Musk, allowing him to continue his $1 million daily giveaway in Pennsylvania.
District Attorney Larry Krasner had sought to halt the giveaway, claiming it was a deceptive lottery. However, Musk’s lawyers argued that winners were not chosen randomly but based on their suitability as spokespeople for his PAC.
According to testimony, 17 people have been promised $1 million each, with four from Pennsylvania. These payments are expected to be made by November 30th. Additionally, 18,000 people in Philadelphia County have received payments of $47 or $100 for signing the PAC petition.
During his testimony, Krasner stated that he does not let his political affiliation influence his actions as a district attorney. He also acknowledged owning a Tesla but emphasized that he would have taken legal action against anyone, including Taylor Swift, if they had engaged in similar conduct.
Musk did not attend the hearing, but videos of him announcing the giveaway and praising it were presented as evidence. Krasner criticized Musk’s characterization of the payments as spokesperson consultancy fees, calling it “disingenuous.”
The judge has indicated that a more detailed decision will be issued later.