Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk was seen speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, earlier this month, with Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump in attendance. The event took place at the site of a July assassination attempt against Trump. The rally was captured in a Reuters File Photo.
Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, was scheduled to appear in court in Philadelphia on Thursday, following a judge's order for him to attend a hearing in a lawsuit aimed at stopping his $1 million giveaways to registered US voters in swing states. Philadelphia's chief prosecutor, Larry Krasner, filed the suit on Monday, labeling Musk's initiative as 'an illegal lottery scheme'. The judge presiding over the case, Anne Marie Coyle, ruled on Wednesday that Musk must appear in court, stating, 'It is further ordered that all parties must be present at the time of the hearing.'
Musk's daily contest announcement earlier this month sparked controversy, leading the Justice Department to caution that it might breach federal law, which forbids paying individuals to register to vote. At 53, Musk, who owns SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter), has invested significant time, money, and influence in supporting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump since endorsing him in July. Reports indicate that Musk has donated $118 million to his personal pro-Trump political action committee, an entity that gathers funds for election campaigns.
Musk has also shared the stage with Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and has hosted several town halls in the battleground state, which is crucial in the November election. Although Musk previously supported Barack Obama, his political stance has shifted to become more conservative in recent years. He frequently uses his 202 million followers on X to promote Trump and criticize his opponent, Vice-President Kamala Harris.
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