Musk skips US court appearance in case focused on $1 million election giveaway

Billionaire Elon Musk dodged a Philadelphia court hearing on Thursday, after asking to move a lawsuit seeking to halt his $1 million giveaways to registered US voters from state to federal court.

The Tesla and SpaceX chief executive had been ordered by a Pennsylvania state judge to attend the hearing, but his lawyers filed a motion late on Wednesday arguing that the case involved federal election issues and should be heard instead in a US District Court.

Philadelphia's chief prosecutor Larry Krasner, a Democrat, sued Mr Musk and his political action committee supportive of Republican Donald Trump, America PAC, on Monday, calling the $1 million giveaways to registered voters in election battleground states “an illegal lottery scheme”.

The move came days after the Justice Department warned Mr Musk and America PAC that the sweepstakes may breach federal law, which prohibits paying people to register to vote.

“Elon Musk didn't show,” John Summers, who is representing the Philadelphia district attorney's office in the case, told reporters after a brief hearing on Thursday morning.

“Elon Musk and his America PAC filed legal papers to have the case removed from this court to federal court and we will proceed to federal court.

“We will address the issues there and seek to have the matter remanded back to the state court. After all, this is a case that involves state law issues and I'll leave it at that.”

According to the America PAC website, 13 people, including four in Pennsylvania, have received the $1 million awards so far.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk attack Kamala Harris in X interview

01:28

Mr Musk, who also owns X, formerly known as Twitter, has thrown his millions, time and considerable influence into backing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump since endorsing him in July.

The world's richest man has reportedly donated $118 million to Trump's political action committee, an organisation that collects funds for elections.

He also appeared on stage with Mr Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and hosted a series of town halls on his own in the eastern state seen as critical in the November election.

Mr Musk, who previously supported Barack Obama but has become increasingly conservative in recent years, peppers his 202 million followers on X daily with messages championing Mr Trump and denigrating his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.

"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.

"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."

'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate

Final: June 1, Madrid

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

Musk skips US court appearance in case focused on $1 million election giveaway

Tesla chief executive faces accusations of 'illegal lottery scheme' in US election

Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

'Morbius'

MATCH INFO

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood