Elon Musk and his America PAC have settled two federal class-action fraud lawsuits over $1 million daily giveaways offered to voters during the 2024 presidential election. Terms of the October 15, 2026 settlement were undisclosed, allowing Musk to avoid scheduled court testimony. Plaintiffs alleged they were duped into signing petitions and surrendering personal data under false pretenses of a random drawing, whereas attorneys conceded recipients were pre-selected as spokespeople. Musk remains a major political donor, contributing over $275 million to Republicans for the 2026 midterms.
Settlement of federal class-action lawsuits
- ▪Elon Musk and America PAC settled two federal class-action fraud lawsuits on October 15, 2026, resolving litigation over $1 million daily voter giveaways in battleground states during the 2024 presidential election
- ▪The October 15, 2026 settlement allowed Elon Musk to avoid testifying under oath after a federal judge had ordered his court testimony for June 2026
- ▪The terms of the settlement between Elon Musk, America PAC, and the plaintiff voters were not disclosed in the court filings submitted in the Western District of Texas
- ▪Elon Musk and America PAC denied all allegations of wrongdoing in the litigation resulting from the 2024 voter giveaway program
Disputes over prize selection randomness
- ▪Voters sued Elon Musk and America PAC alleging they were defrauded into turning over personal information under the false premise that $1 million prizes were awarded randomly
- ▪Attorney Chris Gober stated in court during a Pennsylvania legal challenge to America PAC's $1 million giveaways that recipients were handpicked as paid spokespeople for America PAC rather than chosen by random chance
Overview of the petition giveaway program
- ▪Ahead of the 2024 general election, Elon Musk's America PAC launched a daily $1 million giveaway for registered voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, and North Carolina who signed a petition supporting free speech and gun rights
- ▪America PAC awarded $1 million daily prizes to 18 total recipients across battleground states during its 2024 election giveaway sweepstakes
Pennsylvania legal challenge
- ▪The Philadelphia District Attorney filed a lawsuit seeking to shut down America PAC's sweepstakes while it was still ongoing during the 2024 election
- ▪A Pennsylvania judge permitted America PAC's $1 million giveaway payments to continue through the 2024 election after determining the petition program did not constitute an illegal lottery scheme
Federal warnings over voter payment laws
- ▪Election law experts noted that federal violations for paying individuals to register or vote carry penalties up to a $10,000 fine and five years in prison
- ▪The United States Department of Justice warned Elon Musk in 2024 that the $1 million daily voter sweepstakes might violate federal laws prohibiting payments for voter registration or voting
Wisconsin legal reviews and decisions
- ▪In August 2025, La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke declined to press criminal charges over Elon Musk's Wisconsin Supreme Court voter check offer, concluding no one was paid of value specifically to vote
- ▪The bipartisan Wisconsin Election Commission concluded in 2026 that Elon Musk likely violated Wisconsin state law with his $1 million cash giveaways to voters
Elon Musk's political campaign contributions
- ▪Elon Musk has contributed at least $275 million to Republican candidates and causes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections
- ▪Elon Musk donated over $200 million through America PAC and another aligned political action committee to support Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign
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