Philly Suit Against Musk's Lottery Remanded to State Court

Philly Suit Against Musk's Lottery Remanded to State Court
Above: Elon Musk speaks at an America PAC town hall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 26, 2024. Image copyright: Samuel Corum/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • On Friday, a US district judge rejected a request from Elon Musk's lawyers to move Philadelphia's lawsuit against the billionaire's $1M-a-day lottery from state to federal court.

  • A Philadelphia judge put a hold on the suit earlier this week in response to Musk's attorneys' request to move the case to federal court.


The Spin

Narrative A

Although Musk's petition has nothing to do with the presidential election — and, in fact, has everything to do with voicing support for the protection of Americans' constitutional rights — this case belongs in federal court. Musk is accused of interfering with the election, but nothing he's being accused of has to do with violating state consumer or nuisance law. It's a nice try by the Philly District Attorney, but he's out of his realm.

Narrative B

Musk continues to consider himself above the law, first establishing this illegal lottery, and then flouting a judge's order and skipping his hearing in this case. He should be held in contempt of court for his absence. In addition to this civil case, there could be criminal charges in Musk's future for what is obviously a ploy to buy votes for Trump.


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