Elon Musk Settles Lawsuits Over $1 Million Voter Giveaways in 2024 Election

Billionaire Elon Musk has settled two lawsuits accusing his political action committee, America PAC, of misleading voters through its $1 million giveaways during the 2024 US presidential election campaign, Alfredo Lubrano reported for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Elon Musk agreed to settle two lawsuits over America PAC's $1 million giveaways to voters during the 2024 US presidential election campaign. [Photo: Trevor Cokley, U.S. Air Force

The lawsuits alleged that voters in Pennsylvania and six other swing states were misled by claims that recipients of the daily million-dollar awards were selected at random after signing a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments.

The terms of the settlements, reached in federal court in Texas, were not publicly disclosed, according to the report. America PAC did not respond to a request for comment.

Musk announced the giveaway at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in October 2024.

At the time, he said the group would award $1 million each day to people who had signed the petition through Election Day.

He later said recipients would be required to serve as spokespersons for America PAC.

The giveaways drew scrutiny from election officials and legal experts, including concerns about whether the program complied with laws governing election-related payments and lotteries.

In a related Pennsylvania legal proceeding, Musk's attorneys said recipients were selected to fulfill contractual obligations as PAC spokespersons rather than being chosen through a random lottery.

That distinction became central to criticism of the promotion and to the allegations raised by plaintiffs.

Musk spent approximately $290 million supporting President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, according to reporting cited by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The settlement resolves the two lawsuits without a public trial verdict on the allegations.

Because the settlement terms have not been disclosed, it is not possible to determine from the public announcement whether either side admitted liability or what financial or other obligations were agreed.

The cases have renewed attention on the legal and ethical questions surrounding large political donations, promotional giveaways and the use of financial incentives to encourage voter participation.