Elon Musk's lawyer says $1M giveaway winners not randomly chosen, which could raise legal issues

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Nov. 4, 2024, 5:13 PM EST


A lawyer for Elon Musk said in a Philadelphia courtroom Monday that the winners of Musk’s $1 million daily prize giveaway in election swing states are not chosen at random, contradicting what Musk said when he announced the contest last month.

Legal experts told NBC News that the disclosure could have legal fallout for Musk across multiple jurisdictions under laws designed to protect consumers from deceptive practices.

“This is absolutely, unambiguously illegal,” Christopher Peterson, a University of Utah law professor who specializes in consumer protection, said in an email. “You cannot lawfully lie to the public about conducting a random sweepstakes, lottery, or contest and then rig the results to hand-select the winners,” he said. “It really is not complicated. This is just fraud; a simple, ugly fraud on the public.”

He said Musk and his super PAC’s behavior could be “both a civil wrong and a crime.” Musk’s America PAC declined to comment on that analysis or the views of other legal experts. Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/elon-musks-lawyer-says-1m-winners-arent-randomly-chosen-raise-legal-is-rcna178711

[Ramsey Barner]

1. Merrick Garland may sleep on this one, but Philly DA Larry Krasner will not.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. This is under FTC's and possibly FEC's jurisdiction

and this is why I have this sig graphic -



DU seriously needs a "Civics 101" group because the perhaps sincere lack of knowledge of how our federal government is configured and how it was designed to work, is truly breathtaking.

[Ramsey Barner]

4. "Legal experts told NBC News that the disclosure could have legal fallout for Musk across multiple jurisdictions..."

and one of those jurisdictions is Pennsylvania, and the PA AG and the Philadelphia DA may now have a new cause of action, unless PA does not have "laws designed to protect consumers from deceptive practices. "

I was referring to Merrick Garland's lack of substantive action to date against Musk in general ("this one" meaning Musk's scheme), not to any possible independent FEC or FTC action on the Musk's attorney's latest admission.

I don't appreciate your condescension. Please give people the benefit of the doubt.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. This idiotic obsession with Garland

continues to confound and STILL shows how many have no clue how the federal governement operates.

DOJ is the "legal arm" FOR THE REST OF THE FEDERAL AGENCIES, along with having control over the Bureau of Prisons, ATF, the U.S. Marshalls, etc.

EVERY AGENCY HAS ITS OWN MISSION AND ASSIGNED REGULATED INDUSTRY AND WILL FOLLOW THEIR OWN INTERNAL PROCESS AS FAR AS THEY CAN TO RESOLVE ANY ISSUES BEFORE DOJ IS BROUGHT IN.

Capiche?

People have been counseled on these roles over the past 15 years here and they ignored it because they still want a "boogieman".

I saw the same shit happen here on DU when it came to Eric Holder, demanding that he personally "lock up" Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld and the whole cabal, and it was just as pathetic.

Amazing that the GOP AGs like Jeff Sessions (remember him?) or Bill Barr, got a complete pass.

[travelingthrulife]

3. Ya know. This should be easy

The guy is an illegal immigrant who should have been deported prior to his reign of terror in this country. Come on immigration and Naturalization department. Fess up to your lack of inquiry with this fascist monster.