Philadelphia (CNN) — A Pennsylvania judge ruled Monday that Elon Musk daily $1 million donation to voters may continue, in a victory for the tech billionaire and ally of Donald Trump.

The practical impact of the ruling, however, is limited and mainly symbolic, because the draw will end on Tuesday, election day.

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Angelo Foglietta rejected arguments from city District Attorney Larry Krasner, who argued that the drawing was an illegal lottery that violated state law and should be stopped immediately.

The ruling came shortly after an all-day hearing in a packed courtroom in downtown Philadelphia. The hearing was heated at times, with Krasner’s team calling Musk’s political team “con artists” who are running a “scam” and a “scam” – and Musk’s team accusing the district attorney of pursuing a “terrible violation of constitutional rights.”

Krasner, a progressive Democrat, filed the lawsuit a week ago. Daily giveaways from Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC continued as the issue wound its way through the courts, despite Krasner’s lawsuit and a warning from the Justice Department that the cash prizes could also violate federal election laws. .

Musk and his lawyers called Krasner’s lawsuit a “publicity stunt” and accused him of bringing the case because he disagrees with Musk’s defense of Trump.

“A lot of truth came out of the court today, and it was surprising; stay tuned,” Krasner spokesman Dustin Slaughter told CNN on Monday after the ruling.

The judge’s ruling was in favor of Krasner. Emergency motion to close the draw. immediately. There is still an underlying case on the merits of whether Musk’s gift is illegal under state gaming law.

During the hearing, Krasner testified that as part of future proceedings, his office will eventually try to solicit money from Musk or his super PAC for “victims” of what he called an illegal lottery that deceived Philadelphians.

The winners were not chosen “by chance”

In court on Monday, Musk The lawyers acknowledged that the super PAC doesn’t pick winners “by chance.”

“There is no prize to be won,” said Musk’s lawyer, Chris Gober, and the winners “are not chosen by chance.” Therefore, it is not a lottery, Gober argued.

Instead, Gober said the so-called “award” is actually compensation for serving as a spokesperson for the super PAC, and recipients of the million dollars “are selected based on their suitability to serve as a spokesperson for the US PAC.” They “earn” the million dollars as payment for their work.

An attorney representing Krasner, John Summers, called this “a complete admission of responsibility,” and Krasner later testified on the witness stand that it was “one of the most false things I’ve ever heard.”

They noted that in announcing the giveaway, Musk said, “We’re going to randomly award $1 million to the people who signed the petition,” referring to his petition in support of the Constitution.

“This was all political marketing disguised as a lottery,” Krasner said.

Separate federal scrutiny

Later in the hearing, Musk’s political advisor Chris Young provided new details about how the giveaway operated.

“Our intention from the beginning is to provide compensation only to registered voters and U.S. citizens, and to avoid any possibility that we are somehow providing funds to foreign nationals or anyone with malicious intent,” Young said.

Young, the super PAC’s treasurer, said the group received many registrations from people who were not registered to vote, and those people “were given a follow-up opportunity and encouraged to check their registration status,” Young testified.

The Department of Justice has warned the pro-Trump group that its sweepstakes could violate federal election laws that make it a crime to offer cash or prizes to induce people to register to vote.

“The testimony suggests that the PAC viewed the drawing as an incentive for voters to register, which would be against federal law,” said Derek Muller, a CNN contributor and election law scholar who teaches at the University of Notre-Dame. Give me. “This testimony could be used if the Department of Justice later filed charges in federal court.”

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