Musk's 'Trump $1 Million' Event... Continues Until the Presidential Election

Pennsylvania District Court "Will Wait for Federal Court Decision"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is expected to continue an event offering a daily prize of $1 million (approximately 1.4 billion KRW) to conservative voters to support the election of former Republican President Donald Trump until just before the presidential election.

According to foreign media on the 31st (local time), Angelo Fogletta, a judge at the U.S. District Court for Pennsylvania, decided to suspend the trial regarding a lawsuit requesting the halt of Musk CEO's prize event aimed at voters. During the hearing, when Musk's side argued that "(this case) falls under federal court jurisdiction," Judge Fogletta stated that he would wait for a decision on whether the federal court would take the case.

Earlier, on the 19th, Musk CEO promised at a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a battleground state, that one person randomly selected from those who signed a petition supporting freedom of expression and gun ownership rights until the U.S. presidential election would receive $1 million daily through America PAC. Eligibility to sign the petition was limited to voters registered in seven battleground states: Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which led to a warning from the U.S. Department of Justice about potential violations of federal law.

Subsequently, Larry Krasner, the Philadelphia District Attorney, filed a civil lawsuit on the 28th at the Philadelphia District Court against Musk CEO and America PAC, requesting the suspension of prize payments. In a statement after filing the lawsuit, DA Krasner said, "We have a responsibility to protect the public from unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries," and added, "The prosecution also has a duty to protect the public from interference with the integrity of elections."

Foreign media explained that the Pennsylvania District Court's decision to suspend the case means "Musk CEO can continue the prize event until the presidential election ends on Tuesday (11/5)." Upon receiving the favorable district court ruling, Musk CEO responded on X (formerly Twitter) with "America's justice is the best."