Elon Musk fails to turn up to court over million-dollar giveaways

Billionaire Elon Musk has failed to appear in a Philadelphia court where his million- dollar election giveaway is being challenged.

Transcript

00:00This giveaway has caused a lot of controversy in the final stages of the election campaign.

00:08It's been run by Elon Musk's Political Action Committee, a fundraising body that was set

00:14up to help Donald Trump's election campaign.

00:18And it's been awarding a million US dollars per day, that's about one and a half million

00:23Australian dollars, to a registered voter in one of the seven swing states that is likely

00:29to decide the election outcome.

00:31A number of election experts have raised concerns that this could violate federal law, which

00:36prohibits anyone from being paid to either register to vote or to cast a ballot.

00:42But what the District Attorney here in Philadelphia, a Democrat, is trying to do is sue Elon Musk

00:49and the Political Action Committee, arguing that the scheme is in breach of Pennsylvania's

00:54lotteries and consumer protection laws.

00:58Now, Elon Musk was ordered to appear in court today, he failed to show.

01:03His lawyers argued that he's a very busy man, that he can't just materialise at such short

01:09notice.

01:10And that led to quite a colourful back and forth in the courtroom.

01:14Prosecutors scoffed at that argument, they said that we were talking about the world's

01:19richest person here.

01:21The judge intervened, said it wasn't like Elon Musk could just arrive in Philadelphia

01:26on one of his SpaceX rocket ships.

01:29That prompted prosecutors to quip that if anyone could get to Philadelphia on a rocket

01:34ship, it was Elon Musk.

01:36But the billionaire's lawyers want this case dealt with by a federal court, and the judge

01:42here effectively put this case on hold while that request is considered.

01:47We heard from a representative for the District Attorney's office shortly after court wrapped.

01:53Now in the meantime, this giveaway is continuing, Elon Musk says that a million dollars will

01:59be awarded every day until Election Day next week.