• Elon Musk ordered to face lawsuit over allegations of fraud in a $1 million giveaway.
• U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman allowed claims of fraud and breach of contract to proceed.
• Jacqueline McAferty alleges Musk's scheme misled voters into providing personal data.
• Defendants’ claims that winners were pre-selected undermine fraud claims.

Elon Musk, the world's richest person, is facing a lawsuit after being ordered by a federal judge to respond to allegations that he defrauded voters into participating in a $1 million-a-day election lottery. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ruled that Jacqueline McAferty's claims against Musk and his political action committee, America PAC, can move forward. McAferty contends that she was misled into providing personal information under the pretense of entering a lottery for funding during the 2024 election campaign, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

The lawsuit alleges that Musk's America PAC induced thousands of voters across key battleground states to sign a petition for a chance to win the $1 million, misleading them about the selection process. McAferty asserts that the recipients of the giveaway were not chosen randomly, but were pre-selected based on their suitability as spokespeople for the PAC. Judge Pitman pointed out that statements from Musk's team seemed to contradict the notion that the giveaway was legitimate, indicating that the public could have reasonably believed they were entering a random lottery. This perspective is supported by statements from both Reuters and HuffPost.

In discussions about the lawsuit, Musk's team attempted to defend against the claims by asserting that the personal information gathered from the voters had no value. However, Judge Pitman criticized this viewpoint, stating that the extensive efforts made by Musk's PAC to obtain this data must indicate its worth. The judge emphasized that if winners were indeed pre-selected as claimed, then the lottery lacked a legitimate random element, further supporting McAferty's accusations of fraud, according to HuffPost and South China Morning Post.

As these legal proceedings advance, the implications extend beyond Musk and his PAC, raising concerns about electoral integrity and the potential influence of personal data collection in political campaigns. The lawsuit could clarify the legal definitions around election giveaways and the responsibilities of political committees, with further details expected as discovery progresses, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.