Philadelphia judge’s ruling lets Musk sweepstakes continue

Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta ruled in favor of Elon Musk’s America PAC on Monday, allowing the group to continue its $1 million sweepstakes through Election Day. District Attorney Larry Krasner requested a preliminary injunction on Musk’s giveaway as part of a civil lawsuit filed last week. Krasner accused the PAC of running an illegal lottery for picking registered voters in swing states to receive a $1 million prize after they signed a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Foglietta did not draft an explanation behind his ruling, which came after hearing arguments from both sides on Monday.

What happened at the Monday hearing? Musk’s lawyer, Chris Gober, countered Krasner’s accusations that the PAC is running an illegal lottery by clarifying that the winners are not chosen at random, according to reporting by CNN. Potential winners are vetted ahead of time to make sure their values align with the group, America PAC Director Chris Young testified on Monday, according to a report by the Associated Press. Musk’s lawyers described the scheme as core political speech because participants must sign a petition supporting the Constitution. They further alleged that Krasner’s case against the PAC is moot because none of the final winners are from Pennsylvania. Monday’s winner is from Arizona, and Tuesday’s is from Michigan, Musk’s attorneys clarified.

Dig deeper: Read my report for more on Philadelphia’s lawsuit against Musk.