Elon Musk Ordered to Defend Against Lawsuit Over Alleged Voter Deception

A federal judge has ruled that Elon Musk must defend himself against a lawsuit brought by voters. The voters allege that Musk defrauded them into signing a petition supporting the US Constitution under the guise of a chance to win a $1 million giveaway.

The lawsuit, filed by Arizona resident Jacqueline McAferty, claims that Musk and his political action committee, America PAC, misled her and others into providing personal information as part of the giveaway. The alleged actions occurred near the end of the 2024 election campaign.

McAferty contends that Musk and America PAC enticed voters in several key states to sign the petition by promising a random selection process for the $1 million prize, similar to a lottery. She argues that the voters had little to no real chance of winning. The petition required voters to provide personal details such as names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.

Musk attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, citing several factors that he believed proved he had not conducted an illegal lottery. He pointed to statements indicating that the recipients of the $1 million would be "selected to earn" the money and become America PAC spokespeople, arguing this negated the idea of a prize.

However, the judge referenced other statements suggesting the defendants were "awarding" the $1 million, and that the money could be "won." The judge concluded that it was plausible that the plaintiff reasonably believed she was entering a random lottery, regardless of the defendants' subjective intentions.

The judge also addressed Musk's argument that providing contact information did not cause harm to the signers. The judge stated that an expert in political data brokerage could testify to the value of that information for voters in battleground states. The lawsuit was initiated on Election Day, November 5, 2024.