Musk's '1 Million Dollar Trump Lottery' Continues Until Election Day

[US Election 2024]

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has been allowed to announce the winners of an event that awards $1 million (approximately 1.3743 billion KRW) daily to one person to encourage conservative voters to register for the U.S. presidential election, up until Election Day on the 5th (local time).

According to the AP News on the 4th, Angelo Fogletta, a judge at the Pennsylvania District Court, ruled that Musk's prize-giving event could continue until the last day of the drawing on the 5th, despite a lawsuit seeking to halt the event.

CEO Musk has been awarding $1 million daily to one person among voters in seven battleground states?Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin?who participate in petitions supporting the First Amendment (freedom of expression) and the Second Amendment (right to bear arms) of the U.S. Constitution.

This cash giveaway sparked backlash, with critics questioning whether it constitutes illegal electioneering. The U.S. Department of Justice warned Musk on the 23rd of last month that his actions might violate federal law. Larry Krasner, the Philadelphia District Attorney of Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit on the 28th of last month against Musk and 'America PAC,' a Trump-supporting super PAC established by Musk, demanding the cessation of the prize payments.

Musk’s legal representatives argued in court that the $1 million winner is not chosen by a random drawing.

Chris Young, director of America PAC, also testified that winners undergo a pre-screening process to assess their character and confirm whether they hold values aligned with their organization, explaining that it is not a random lottery.

However, Krasner’s legal team claimed it is a "fraud designed to influence the election."