<p>A US judge on Friday denied Elon Musk's bid to move a Pennsylvania lawsuit over his $1 million voter prizes to federal court, moving the case back to state court.</p><p>It was not immediately clear if the decision would affect the billionaire's plan to keep awarding money until the US presidential election on Tuesday.</p><p>The decision was issued by US District Judge Gerald Pappert in Philadelphia federal court.</p><p>Musk has been giving $1 million checks to randomly selected registered voters who sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights.</p><p>Musk's America PAC had awarded $1 million prizes to 14 people as of Friday and said the final prize will be given on Tuesday.</p><p>Democratic Philadelphia District Attorney Lawrence Krasner sued Musk and his political action committee, which backs Republican former President Donald Trump, on October 28 in a state court to try to block the giveaway. Krasner called the program an illegal lottery.</p>.Trump, Musk and an American masculinity crisis.<p>Two days later, Tesla CEO Musk and his America PAC sought to move it to federal court, arguing Krasner's lawsuit raised questions about free-speech rights and election interference that belong in federal court. That prompted the state judge who had been overseeing the case to put it on hold.</p><p>In arguing that the case belonged in state court, Krasner called Musk's maneuver an attempt to "run the clock until Election Day." Krasner did not allege the giveaway violates federal law.</p><p>Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania, one of seven battleground states likely to determine the outcome of the race between Trump and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.</p><p>Musk's offer is limited to registered voters in the seven states expected to decide the election - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.</p><p>Musk gave away the first $1 million at an October 19 America PAC rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's state capital.</p><p>The giveaway falls in a gray area of election law, and legal experts are divided on whether Musk could be violating federal laws against paying people to register to vote.</p><p>The US Department of Justice warned America PAC the giveaway could violate federal law, according to media reports, but federal prosecutors have not taken any public action.</p><p>Musk has so far given nearly $120 million to America PAC, according to federal disclosures.</p>
<p>A US judge on Friday denied Elon Musk's bid to move a Pennsylvania lawsuit over his $1 million voter prizes to federal court, moving the case back to state court.</p><p>It was not immediately clear if the decision would affect the billionaire's plan to keep awarding money until the US presidential election on Tuesday.</p><p>The decision was issued by US District Judge Gerald Pappert in Philadelphia federal court.</p><p>Musk has been giving $1 million checks to randomly selected registered voters who sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights.</p><p>Musk's America PAC had awarded $1 million prizes to 14 people as of Friday and said the final prize will be given on Tuesday.</p><p>Democratic Philadelphia District Attorney Lawrence Krasner sued Musk and his political action committee, which backs Republican former President Donald Trump, on October 28 in a state court to try to block the giveaway. Krasner called the program an illegal lottery.</p>.Trump, Musk and an American masculinity crisis.<p>Two days later, Tesla CEO Musk and his America PAC sought to move it to federal court, arguing Krasner's lawsuit raised questions about free-speech rights and election interference that belong in federal court. That prompted the state judge who had been overseeing the case to put it on hold.</p><p>In arguing that the case belonged in state court, Krasner called Musk's maneuver an attempt to "run the clock until Election Day." Krasner did not allege the giveaway violates federal law.</p><p>Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania, one of seven battleground states likely to determine the outcome of the race between Trump and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.</p><p>Musk's offer is limited to registered voters in the seven states expected to decide the election - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.</p><p>Musk gave away the first $1 million at an October 19 America PAC rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's state capital.</p><p>The giveaway falls in a gray area of election law, and legal experts are divided on whether Musk could be violating federal laws against paying people to register to vote.</p><p>The US Department of Justice warned America PAC the giveaway could violate federal law, according to media reports, but federal prosecutors have not taken any public action.</p><p>Musk has so far given nearly $120 million to America PAC, according to federal disclosures.</p>