Elon Musk's Legal Team Confesses Non-Random Nature ofpromised $1 Million Voter Incentive
Elon Musk's Legal Team Confesses Non-Random Nature ofpromised $1 Million Voter Incentive
Elon Musk's questionable $1 million reward to voters who agreed to support the First and Second Amendments wasn't as random as it seemed, his team admitted during a court hearing in Philadelphia.
In the lengthy hearing on Monday, Musk's lawyer, Chris Gober, informed the judge that the $1 million was, in fact, a "salary" paid to contestants who would serve as spokespersons for the pro-Trump America PAC. Contestants were selected based on their "fitness for the role" and their compelling personal stories, not entirely due to luck, which would fall under Philadelphia's gambling laws if they had been chosen completely at random.
Another of Musk's deputies, Chris Young, summarized the team's defense, stating, "The chance to earn is different from the chance to win." Games of chance require no skill or talent to win and fall under strict gambling laws. When Musk initially announced the contest, he explicitly stated, "We will be randomly awarding $1 million." It appeared as if there were no prerequisites, no expectations or "fitness for the role."
Upon announcing the contest, many raised concerns about its legality. It is illegal to pay anyone to register to vote, but the contest rules required participants to be registered voters. If nothing else, the contest seemed to offer money to American citizens to register, giving the impression of bribery. Critics speculated that the giveaway was a disguised attempt to buy undecided voters for Trump.
Holiday-style contest, the entire event risks further turning politics into a popularity contest, where candidates compete for attention by going to extreme lengths.
The Justice Department reportedly warned the America PAC about the giveaway, and the Philadelphia District Attorney's office took Musk to court over it.
Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner testified in court today that the so-called giveaway constituted an illegal lottery under Philadelphia's gambling laws. He also criticized the America PAC for failing to adequately inform participants about the information they were collecting. "They were scammed for their information," Krasner stated. "It has almost unlimited use." He used strong language to condemn Musk, calling the contest a "grift" and "disingenuous." Krasner's team pointed out that under the Musk team's logic, winners were expected to support the PAC but were not allowed to disclose that they had been instructed to do so.
Musk's team defended itself by arguing that this was not an illegal lottery like Krasner believed, as "winners" had to earn the money through their work. However, Krasner's team argued in closing arguments that deceiving fans was not a valid defense. "They advertised this as a lottery," Krasner's team stated. "It's not a defense if what we said isn't true."
Krasner's team called hiring undisclosed spokespeople "one of the great scams of the last 50 years."
Either way, Musk's team informed the judge that the "contest" would not continue past Tuesday.
This is a developing story, and we will update this post as more information becomes available.
In the defense of Elon Musk's team, they argued that the $1 million was not a random prize but a form of compensation for contestants who would serve as spokespersons for the pro-Trump America PAC, highlighting the role of technology and tech-savvy individuals in shaping the future of politics. The team emphasized the need for contestants to demonstrate "fitness for the role" and present compelling personal stories, distinguishing this from games of chance that fall under strict gambling laws.