From the beginning, experts doubted the legality of Elon Muskit’s pro-Asset America PAC giving 1 million dollars awards to a handful of registered voters in swing states who signed a petition in support of the First and Second Amendments. Today, the billionaire and his political organization face a trial of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania because of this unprecedented effort to influence a presidential election.

The complaint, filed on behalf of the state by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, does not accuse Musk or the Super PAC — to which he has donated at least $119 million of his personal fortune — of election interference. or electoral fraud. Instead, it describes the sweepstakes as an “illegal lottery” that must be stopped “immediately” to protect consumers. “To be clear, this is not a question of whether defendants violated state or federal laws prohibiting vote buying,” it reads.

Contacted for comment on the issue, an America PAC representative responded with a link to an X post announcing Monday’s winner, a Michigan voter.

The terms of the America PAC contest explain that registered voters in battleground states — including Pennsylvania, considered a swing state by the Harris and Trump campaigns — can sign its petition “in support of free speech and of the Right to Bear Arms” for a chance to win $1 million in daily drawings held until Election Day. (They must also provide their full name, email address, mailing address and phone number.) Winners began receiving their giant novelty checks on October 19, and the top three resided in Pennsylvania; a fourth winner from Pennsylvania accepted her check Saturday. According to tweets from America PAC dated Oct. 20, those chosen to receive the cash prize “earn” it by becoming a “spokesperson» for the organization, even if the word “spokesperson” does not appear on the Web page for the petition.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shaprio quickly called for a investigation in the competition, while the Justice Department sent Musk a letter informing him that the the arrangement could be illegal and that former federal prosecutors had called for a review of America PAC payments to voters. President Joe Biden on Monday called it “totally inappropriate» for Musk to pay voters.

In addition to the $1 million, the Super PAC offered $47 to registered voters in swing states who recommend others sign the petition, as well as $100 to registered voters in Pennsylvania who sign, plus $100 additional dollars for every voter in the state in which they register. . Some participants complained slow paymentsunclear instructions and a lack of communication from the Super PAC about the process of confirming their credentials.

Krasner’s lawsuit alleges that Musk’s political operation used “misleading, vague, or misleading statements that create a likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding.” The group has not “published a comprehensive set of lottery rules or demonstrated how it protects the privacy of participants’ personal information,” the suit claims. Additionally, Krasner claims in the complaint that America PAC’s assurance that winners are selected “at random” may not hold water, writing that this characterization “appears false because many of the selected winners are individuals who showed up at Trump rallies in Pennsylvania.” The petition agreement was of course aimed directly at likely and potential Trump voters, but registered Democrats do not vote for Trump. also signed due to cash incentivesand there is no indication that anyone has won the jackpot so far.

Krasner’s core allegation is even more fundamental: Musk is running a lottery without proper, legally mandated oversight from the Commonwealth. The lawsuit explains that Pennsylvania citizens are being “tricked” into “giving up their personal identifying information and making a political commitment in exchange for a chance to win $1 million.”

“It is a lottery,” Krasner writes, and “unambiguous Pennsylvania law” states that lotteries are subject to state regulations regarding prize claiming, disclosure of odds of winning and use of funds lottery. The America PAC, Krasner claims, is not in compliance, and he notes that the Pennsylvania General Assembly has declared illegal lotteries operating outside of these rules a public “nuisance.”

The DAs own statement On the lawsuit, he notes that he is “charged with protecting the public from interference with the integrity of elections,” while the lawsuit warns that the drawing threatens to “tarnish the public’s right to free and fair elections. It might have been easier to focus on simple claims about the lottery element rather than alleging violations of election or voting laws, although a spokesperson for Krasner’s office declined to comment on that. point.

Trump’s team leaned heavily on Musk in the final months of the election cycle. The richest man in the world, who had already transformed the X platform (formerly Twitter) in a hotbed of MAGA misinformationspoke alongside Trump at rallies — including Sunday’s Hatefest at Madison Square Garden in New York – as well as at his own town hall events in Pennsylvania. Its effectiveness as a campaign surrogate is in doubt: between Musk’s remarks awkward physique, stilted repetition of disturbing lines intended as jokesand declarations of doom, including “tests“For Americans, if Trump wins, it is obvious that it is more difficult to sell the candidate than to hype it.”autonomous driving» Teslas.

Most worrying for Trump and his allies, however, is that America PAC has taken over much of the get-out-the-vote strategy in key states — and may be failing at its job. The insiders said it rolling stone they see little evidence of a robust ground game and expressed their concerns to Trump. Directed by veterans from the governor of Florida. Ron DeSantisAfter a disastrous presidential campaign, the Super PAC faced numerous problems in its field operations, including recruiting last-minute canvassers and swapping vendors, as well as using a smartphone app it doesn’t work in rural areas where the internet is slow, where the group targets low-propensity voters.

Despite all this, Musk expressed confidence in Trump and the extremely costly war he waged to return the former president to the White House, saying November 5 was a deadline for the MAGA movement. As a mega-donor put it on in a recent interview with Tucker Carlson: “If he loses, I’m screwed.”