Musk must attend the hearing in person to address Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's accusations that the $1 million voter lottery Musk and his America PAC are running is illegal, according to an NBC Philadelphia report.
Judge Angelo Foglietta's order requires Musk, Krasner, and a representative of America PAC to be present for the emergency hearing, which was scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 31, the NBC 10 report states.
Musk did not appear in court for the hearing, according to a 6 abc Action News report. Lawyers for Musk are trying to get the lawsuit moved to federal court, the report states.
While Krasner's legal team wanted Musk to be sanctioned for not showing up, the judge reserved a decision on that until it becomes clear if the case will play out in federal or state court, according to the 6abc report.
Later that day, the judge paused the state case while Musk attempts to get it moved to federal court, NBC 10 reports.
Krasner's lawsuit argues that Musk and America PAC began a lottery scheme that is illegal in Pennsylvania during a rally supporting presidential candidate Donald Trump on Saturday, Oct. 19, according to previous reporting by Daily Voice.
"They announced that if a registered voter turns over their personal identifying information (i.e., address, cell phone number and e-mail address) and makes a political pledge by signing a petition pledging support for “the Constitution, especially freedom of speech and the right to bear arms”; they are eligible to be selected “randomly” win $1 million," the lawsuit states.
That process is an illegal lottery in Pennsylvania, according to the lawsuit. That's because "unambiguous" Pennsylvania law states that all lotteries in the state must be regulated by state government.
That's enough to warrant an injunction, according to Krasner.
There were a total of three $1 million winners of the America PAC sweepstakes in Pennsylvania, according to previous reporting by Daily Voice.
Click here to read NBC Philadelphia's full report.
Click here to read the full Action News report.
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