lottery – USA NEWS LIVE

Elon Musk misses court date in Philly, delaying “illegal lottery” case against him, a Philadelphia politics expert weighs in

enzo2go — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:48:25 +0000

What can we know in regards to the lawsuit?

Krasner accuses Musk and his pro-Trump America PAC of “illegal lottery” in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania.

To take part in the $1 million drawing, an individual have to be a registered voter certainly one of seven swing states and sign a “petition” They pledged their support for the First and Second Amendments to the US Constitution, which protect, amongst other things, freedom of speech and the suitable to bear arms. Participants may also receive $47 for every registered voter they refer who signs the petition.

It is a federal crime Paying people to register to voteand the The Justice Department warned Musk and his America PAC said the giveaways may lead to a criminal investigation. But it was only a warning – the federal government took no legal motion.

In Pennsylvania, certainly one of the seven swing states offering the gift, it will not be illegal to pay people to register to vote. Therefore, state officials, including district attorneys like Krasner, cannot sue Musk or his PAC on this basis.

But Pennsylvania has it Laws Governing Lotteries working within the state. And Krasner claims that Musk and America PAC are running something that amounts to a lottery, and that it’s an illegal lottery since it violates state lottery regulations.

Musk's lawyers requested that the case be moved to federal court. However, the federal district judge to whom it was temporarily assigned could determine to send it back to state court. The Washington Post reported that it will not be immediately clear when the subsequent hearing will happen.

Is paying Philadelphians money to encourage them to vote or register to vote unheard of?

Not really. For example this Philadelphia Citizena news and opinion website Lotteries for voters In 2015, 2017 and 2021. Prices ranged from $1,000 to $10,000.

The Citizen created the lottery not to assist any particular candidate, but as an experiment to easily encourage Philadelphians to vote — especially in city elections in odd-numbered years, when voter turnout tends to be lowest. Based on the Terms and Conditionswhich might still be found on their website, the Citizen appears to have been more careful than Musk in following state laws.

As for Musk's America PAC sweepstakes, the small print of how it really works — including how winners are chosen — are unclear. The terms and conditions don't look like anywhere on the PAC website, and I couldn't find anything on Musk's X accounts or the America PAC either. If Musk has published them somewhere, they won't be easy to search out.

In addition to the citizen lottery, one other similar practice occurs in Philadelphia during election cycles wherein party officials in Philadelphia – district managers and… Committee people – are given “Road money“, also called “Money for election day” or “Get-out-the-vote money.”

The money comes from different levels of the Democratic Party – from Philadelphia Democratic City Committee To presidential candidates. The funds are intended to encourage local partisans to vote for chosen candidates, which supposedly also results in voter registration. Party employees can do whatever they need with the cash – it is meant as a reward for his or her efforts.

Even though the amounts of cash given to those individuals are relatively small, normally just a few hundred dollars each, if there are any, they’ll add up about 3,500 Democratic and Republican committee members.

This will not be a lottery and no money is given on to people to register to vote and even vote. It is given to people whose job it’s to encourage people to register to vote in the event that they are more likely to support certain candidates. But Musk's America PAC giveaway also doesn't actually pay people to register to vote, but as a substitute makes voter registration a requirement for eligibility to vote.

After all, it's not unusual for stores in Philly to provide away things like coffee or donuts to individuals who are available in with an “I Voted” sticker. This practice supposedly pays people to vote although nobody seems to care.

Why is that this case filed in Philly and never one other a part of the state or one other state?

I’d argue that it has lots to do with Krasner's personality.

Krasner has a better national profile than most prosecutors. His selection received national attention because he’s probably probably the most liberal district attorney in town ever elected, and he received support from national PACs, including one linked to George Sorosa billionaire donor who supports liberal causes.

Additionally, Pennsylvania is arguably crucial swing state and one that may almost certainly be decided by the slimmest of majorities. Both campaigns are eager to win Pennsylvania.

There is not any evidence that I’m aware that Krasner is acting in a biased manner. There look like legitimate legal grounds for his criticism. However, if he’s successful, it might likely profit Democrats.

District Attorney Larry Krasner stands between his lawyers after a hearing in Philadelphia on a lawsuit he filed against Elon Musk and his $1 million fundraising campaign.
Drew Hallowell via Getty Images

Could the lottery or its injunction actually influence the election?

The lawsuit states that America PAC received over 280,000 signatures from people registered to vote in Pennsylvania. It will not be clear how lots of these people were already registered to vote.

But even when the lottery increases voter registration within the state, it could not make a difference in how Pennsylvanians vote or whether or not they vote. If an individual is persuaded to register to vote just because someone paid them to accomplish that, will they be motivated to devote the time and energy to go to the polls?

Additionally, Krasner's lawsuit alleges that lottery winners were disproportionately individuals who registered at Trump rallies – an argument for why he believes the lawsuit is fallacious. Krasner's criticism alleges it’s a violation of consumer protections because “although Musk says the selection of a winner is 'random,' this appears false because several of the winners selected are people who work with Trump.” rallies in Pennsylvania.” So if the lotteries generated enthusiasm amongst individuals who were already planning to vote for Trump, they won't have much of an impact on the actual election end result.

It's also possible that the lottery and petition signatures aren’t in regards to the 2024 election, but quite about collecting lists of names and other details about potential voters that might be sold or otherwise utilized in future elections. Krasner's criticism mentions that the lottery and petition collect personal information.

Regarding the possible injunction, the subsequent hearing has not yet been scheduled. Since election day is so close and so many votes have already been forged, it is difficult to assume that stopping the lottery now would have any significant impact anyway.

But given the likely very slim margin of victory – Biden won Pennsylvania in 2020 by a margin of 1 just over 80,000 votes – Even small changes in voter results can change the end result.

image credit : theconversation.com

Elon Musk's $1M voter lottery lawsuit sent back to state court

enzo2go — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:45:19 +0000

A Pennsylvania A federal judge on Friday sent back to state court a lawsuit against billionaire Elon Musk and his political motion committee over $1 million in day by day donations to registered voters.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's request to dam Musk and his America PAC A judge within the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas will hear a hearing Monday morning on whether to stop more awards from being given to voters in Pennsylvania, in accordance with a filing.

A hearing on Krasner's motion began Thursday morning in state court. But the hearing soon ended after a judge there said Musk's transfer of the case to federal court prevented any motion in state court.

Krasner accuses Musk and the PAC of running an illegal lottery and attempting to influence voters within the presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

The lawsuit also accuses Musk and the PAC supporting Trump of violating state consumer protection laws.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert in his Verdict On Friday, the case was sent back to the Court of Common Pleas, rejecting arguments from Musk's lawyers that the lawsuit needs to be heard in federal court in Philadelphia since it pertains to the upcoming presidential election.

“But federal question jurisdiction does not depend on a plaintiff’s motives for bringing a lawsuit; What matters is whether the legal issues arising from the claims originate in federal or state law,” wrote Pappert, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.

Pappert said the defendants had identified “no question of federal law” that needed to be resolved in favor of the prosecution “to prove a claim under state law.”

Krasner's office said in an announcement Friday: “This decision is consistent with the District Attorney's argument that last-hour efforts by America PAC and Mr. Musk to withdraw the case from state court in Philadelphia were unlawful.”

CNBC has reached out to an attorney for Musk and America PAC for comment.

Musk said on October 19 that the PAC would randomly award $1 million per day until Election Day to registered voters in one in all seven swing states – including Pennsylvania – who had signed a petition supporting the U.S. Constitution . The first three honorees got here from Pennsylvania.

After being sued by Krasner within the Court of Common Pleas on Monday, Musk was ordered to look in that state court on Thursday morning for an emergency hearing, where a judge planned to contemplate Krasner's request for an injunction to stop the lottery in Pennsylvania.

But on Wednesday evening, attorneys for Musk and the PAC filed a notice in federal court withdrawing the lawsuit.

On Thursday morning, after Musk failed to look at his hearing, Court of Common Pleas Judge Angelo Foglietta said the case couldn’t proceed, at the very least for now, due to move to federal court.

Summers hours later asked Pappert to return the case from federal court.

Musk's attorney, Matthew Haverstick, filed a motion Friday asking Foglietta to vacate the order that Musk appear in person when a hearing on Krasner's request for a preliminary injunction resumes.

“His presence is now required only to harass and oppress,” Haverstick wrote within the motion.

“Plaintiff seeks to harass and unlawfully sideline Defendant Musk in the final days before a closely contested presidential election,” the attorney wrote. “To say this is inappropriate would be a gross understatement. The attempt to impede Defendant Musk from exercising his First Amendment rights is absolutely unconstitutional coming from a government official.”

image credit : www.cnbc.com

Elon Musk brings lawsuit over voter lottery to federal court

enzo2go — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 02:38:57 +0000

A lawsuit filed by the Philadelphia district attorney's office searching for to stop Elon Musk and his political motion committee from continuing handy out $1 million prizes to swing voters within the states will likely be heard – no less than for now – in federal court in Pennsylvania, said a judge on Thursday.

But John Summers, an attorney for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, asked one hours later Federal judge to return the lawsuit “immediately” to the state court.

“There is no federal jurisdiction over the complaint,” Summers wrote in a federal court filing. “The lawsuit does not assert any federal claims; rather, it asserts federal claims of public nuisance caused by the operation of an illegal lottery.”

Summers requested a direct hearing on his application.

Summers told reporters Thursday that he would file such a motion after a temporary hearing within the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.

This hearing was originally scheduled to deal with an emergency request from Krasner to dam Musk and America PAC from moving forward with the $1 million award.

But attorneys for Musk and America PAC filed a notice of removal in Pennsylvania federal court late Wednesday, just hours after a Court of Common Pleas Judge Angelo Foglietta ordered it Tesla CEO appears in person on the emergency hearing.

The notice argued that since the PAC is registered as a federal corporation, it is just not subject to state law.

“While the lawsuit purports to assert only federal claims related to public nuisance and consumer protection, DA Krasner's claims, as is evident at first glance of the lawsuit, revolve primarily around the allegation that the defendants chose to base a federal election on some illegitimate basis Disturb in a way,” the file says.

Musk didn’t appear at Thursday's hearing, but his lawyers were present.

Matthew Haverstick, a lawyer for Musk and the PAC, said on the hearing that the billionaire was a busy man who couldn't “step in” on a 12-hour notice. Haverstick also said Musk was named as a defendant by prosecutors as a “publicity stunt.”

Foglietta acknowledged on the hearing that Musk's firing notice meant the case couldn’t be heard within the Court of Common Pleas in the intervening time.

During the hearing, Summers called Musk's last-minute impeachment request “cowardly and irresponsible.”

It's not clear how quickly a federal judge will rule on Krasner's request to maneuver the case back to state court or stop the lottery.

Krasner's lawsuit alleging Musk's $1 million gift was an illegal, unregulated lottery was filed within the Court of Common Pleas on Monday.

A hearing on Krasner's request for an injunction to forestall the lottery from continuing was originally scheduled for Friday.

Elon Musk must attend voter lottery hearing in Philadelphia

enzo2go — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 06:33:35 +0000

Elon Musk is because of attend an emergency hearing in a Philadelphia court on Thursday morning to handle the town's top prosecutor's try to stop the phobia attack Tesla A judge on Wednesday ordered the CEO and his political motion committee to proceed giving out $1 million in prizes to registered voters within the swing state of Pennsylvania.

Also on Wednesday, lawyers for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced in a court filing that his lawsuit against Musk, who’s an ally of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and the America PAC had “triggered an avalanche of”. [social media] Posts from Musk's followers, a lot of whom “made anti-Semitic attacks on Krasner.”

After Krasner filed his lawsuit on Monday, Musk said in a post on his social media page,” prosecutors wrote.

Krasner's lawyers asked Judge Angelo Foglietta to order increased security for the hearing, originally scheduled for Friday morning, noting that an X account had posted the prosecutor's home address and written: “Krasner loves visitors. Wear a mask and leave all cell phones at home.”

The attorneys also asked Foglietta for an order requiring “the presence of all parties, i.e., Attorney General Krasner, a representative of America PAC, and Mr. Musk.”

Hours after that filing, Foglietta rescheduled the hearing, which was scheduled to happen once a day at City Hall, to Thursday morning.

“All parties must be present at the time of the hearing,” Foglietta wrote within the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas order.

Krasner's lawsuit accuses Musk and America PAC of operating an illegal lottery and attempting to influence voters within the presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump.

Musk and lawyers for him and his PAC didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment from CNBC.

In his lawsuit, Krasner's lawyers wrote that the lottery was “deceptive” to consumers because America PAC didn’t publish clear lottery rules or explain how the lottery would protect participants' personal information.

The lawsuit also argues that although “Musk says the selection of a winner is 'random,'” that appears false because several winners chosen are individuals who showed up at Trump rallies in Pennsylvania. “

The posts on X that included details about Krasner's address were faraway from the platform Wednesday afternoon.

Lora Kolodny When asked about removing the posts without suspending the user account, X referred CNBC to its policies on sharing personal information on the platform.