Elon Musk's swing-state voter reward program was not a lottery, according to a Philadelphia judge's recent ruling. The program, which offered $1 million daily to voters in key swing states before the US presidential election, faced legal scrutiny but was allowed to continue.

Judge Angelo Foglietta determined the program didn't meet Pennsylvania's three lottery criteria: payment, prize, and random chance. Court proceedings revealed winners weren't randomly selected but carefully chosen based on their social media presence and personal interviews before town hall events.

The program, run by Musk's pro-Trump America PAC, required participants to sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights. While Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner alleged voters were being "scammed for their information," the judge found no evidence supporting this claim.

The ruling noted that the case became largely moot when America PAC decided to exclude Pennsylvania residents from the final prize consideration.

A separate class-action lawsuit in Arizona challenges the program's legitimacy. The plaintiff claims fraud and breach of contract, arguing she provided personal data and signed the petition believing she had a genuine chance at winning the million-dollar prize. The lawsuit also raises concerns about America PAC's unrestricted use of collected personal data.

The case highlights ongoing debates about the intersection of political activism, voter engagement, and data collection in modern campaigning.

Related Articles

Previous Articles