Elon Musk ’s controversial$1 million giveawayto elector who sign on a toast supporting the First and Second Amendments was n’t really a random game show at all , and his team has admitted it .
During a earreach in a Philadelphia courtroom that take to the woods for minute on Monday , Musk ’s attorney Chris Gober told a judge the $ 1 million is in fact a “ pay ” that contestants earn to be a spokesperson for the pro - Trump America PAC . achiever were pre - selected establish on their “ suitability to serve ” and their personal narrative , not totally prefer by chance , which would fall under Philadelphia gambling police . Quite a means to argue in your defense , that what you did was n’t a offence because you were lie in to your followers in the first place .
Chris Young , another Musk lieutenant , summed up the team ’s defense:“The chance to earn is different from the chance to gain ground . ”Games of chance require no skill or power to advance , and fall under exacting gambling laws . When Musk ab initio announce the game show , he explicitly said “ we are going to be present $ 1 million randomly . ” It sounded like there were no bowed stringed instrument attached , no allegiances or “ suitability to serve ” required .
Elon Musk’s lawyers told a judge his $1 million giveaway wasn’t a giveaway at all.Samuel Corum / Getty
After Musk announced the contest , questions many people straight off raised questions about whether the program was even legal for various reasons . It is illegal to pay off anyone to register to vote , but the contest rules required participants to be registered voter . If nothing else , the plan give the impression of dangling money in front of American citizen to get them to register . Musk has been hosting pro - Trump rallies in swing music states and critic have speculated the giveaway is a thinly - hide way to buy unresolved elector for Trump .
Something of a Mr. Beast - style contest , the whole charade risks further turning politics into a popularity contest to see who will go to the utmost length and be the most “ le heroic , ” for attending .
The Justice Department reportedlywarned the America PACabout the game show , and the Philadelphia District Attorney ’s power tookMusk to woo over it .
Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner said in court today that the so - called giveaway constituted an illegal drawing under its gambling laws , and that the America PAC was not sufficiently expose to participant what information it was pick up . “ They were scammed for their information , ” Krasner take the stand . “ It has almost unlimited role . ” He used other harsh password to rails at Musk , calling the charade a “ grift ” and “ disingenuous . ” Krasner ’s team noted the America PAC made winners sign an NDA agreeing to not talk about it , meaning under the Musk team ’s logical system , winners were suppose to support the PAC but not remark that they were instructed to do so .
Musk ’s team was defending itself by saying this is not an illegal lottery at all like Krasner thinks , because “ winner ” actually had to reset the money through labor . But in shutting contestation , Krasner ’s squad said rest to your lover is not a valid defence reaction . “ They fundamentally advertise this as a lottery . It ’s not a DoD of ‘ What we enunciate is n’t true . ' ”
Krasner ’s team call hiring unrevealed spokespeople “ one of the great scam of the last 50 years . ”
Either elbow room , Musk ’s squad told the judge the “ game show ” wo n’t run past Tuesday .
This is a grow storey and we ’ll update this place as we instruct more .
Donald TrumpElon MuskPolitics
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