Elon Musk's appeal to federal court over giving $1 million to voters has been dismissed. A US judge made the decision on Friday (November 1). As a result, the case has to be settled in the state court. British news agency Reuters reported this.
However, it was not immediately clear whether the US billionaire would be able to proceed with his plans to extend his financial gifts until after the election.
Philadelphia District Court Judge Gerald Papperott made the ruling.
Earlier, Tesla and SpaceX owners were summoned for hearing the case on Thursday. At that hearing in Pennsylvania, Judge Angelo Fazlietta said the federal court was reviewing whether to accept the case. Therefore, it was initially decided to postpone the hearing.
American billionaires are spending dollars generously on the campaign of Republican candidate Donald Trump. Part of that activity was the announcement of a million dollar lottery. He arranged for the money to be paid to one voter in seven highly contested swing states every day until the election. The conditions for participation in the lottery were two- to be a registered voter and to sign a petition in support of free speech and gun-carrying laws.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Kressner is trying to stop Musk's donation initiative. He alleged that the Tesla and SpaceX owners had organized it to sway voters in hotly contested states.
In the upcoming election, former President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris may have a close fight. The seven swing states play an important role in determining the heads of the world's most powerful countries. As a result, Musk's lottery is likely to have considerable influence on the selection of Oval Office leaders.