Elon Musk did not attend a Philadelphia court hearing scheduled for October 31, 2024, in a case over America PAC’s voter sweepstakes. The proceeding was disrupted when the case was moved from Pennsylvania state court to federal court; after a federal judge sent it back, a later hearing went ahead on November 4. Musk missed that hearing too, and the judge denied the district attorney’s request to stop the sweepstakes.
Why the Philadelphia hearing was delayed
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner brought a civil case seeking to stop America PAC’s sweepstakes, which offered cash awards connected to signing a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments. A judge had ordered Musk to appear at the October 31, 2024, hearing, but he did not attend. The proceeding could not go forward as scheduled after the case was transferred from Pennsylvania state court to federal court. On November 1, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office announced that the federal court had remanded the case to state court, clearing the way for a new hearing. TechCrunch’s report and the DA’s office announcement describe those steps.
What happened at the November 4 hearing
The state-court hearing took place on November 4, 2024. Musk was absent again; his lawyers appeared and argued that the recipients of the million-dollar awards were paid spokespeople, not winners chosen by chance, according to the Associated Press. The sweepstakes had been described as awarding $1 million per day.
Judge Angelo Foglietta denied Krasner’s request for an injunction. In its account of a later written opinion, the AP quoted the judge saying that the district attorney had not shown evidence of misuse beyond speculation. That ruling allowed the sweepstakes to continue through Election Day. It did not settle every legal question about political payments or decide later allegations that some people had not received promised amounts. The AP’s report on the opinion explains the basis for the ruling.
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How the later payment lawsuits differ
Separate federal lawsuits later alleged that some petition signers and referrers were not fully paid. A January 7, 2026, opinion from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania describes offers of $47 for eligible signers in swing states, later increased to $100 for Pennsylvania signers, along with additional referral payments. The opinion addresses motions concerning amended complaints; it is not a final judgment resolving all payment claims. These cases concern alleged unpaid signing and referral amounts, rather than Krasner’s request to halt the sweepstakes. The federal court opinion sets out the claims and procedural posture.
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