Federal court to decide on Musk’s $1M giveaway to voters in Pennsylvania

A federal court is set to weigh in on whether Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s attempt to halt Elon Musk’s $1 million daily giveaways to registered voters can proceed at the state level, potentially delaying any ruling until after the Nov. 5 presidential election.

The giveaways, organized by Musk’s conservative America political action committee (PAC), provide $1 million per day to voters who pledge support for gun rights and free speech. The initiative has sparked legal challenges in Pennsylvania, where Krasner argues the effort could influence voters. He filed to keep the case in state court, citing concerns over local electoral impact.

However, attorneys for Musk, a prominent backer of former President Donald Trump, sought to move the case to federal court, asserting that federal law, not state regulations, governs the PAC’s actions. On Thursday, Judge Angelo Foglietta agreed to put a hold on the case to give federal authorities time to decide whether to take it up.

Krasner filed a motion Thursday to have the case returned to state jurisdiction, according to The Washington Post.

Musk’s America PAC has awarded lottery-style prizes to 13 voters so far, including four from Pennsylvania. Until recently, the PAC also offered $100 incentives to Pennsylvania voters who signed the pledge or referred others to do so.

The initiative targets seven battleground states — Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia — in the days leading up to the election