Musk faces legal heat over election-related lottery scheme

The controversial billionaire Elon Musk is delving deeper into extreme right-wing ideology, with its supporters represented by Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. Musk appeared at a Republican rally in New York, which American media described as racist, xenophobic, and filled with scandalous statements and controversial figures.

In early October, Musk was interviewed by Tucker Carlson, a conservative political commentator who also supports Trump. During the conversation, Musk joked, "If Trump loses, I’m [in trouble.] How long do you think my prison sentence is going to be? Will I see my children? I don’t know." Less than a month later, the richest person in the world actually received a court summons.

Musk was summoned for 31st October in connection with charges filed a few days earlier by the prosecutor's office in Philadelphia. The case is progressing in an expedited manner due to its nature related to elections. It concerns a lottery in which the billionaire was giving away around £780,000 each day to registered voters. American authorities suggest that this might have violated electoral law – Musk denies this.

The District Attorney in Philadelphia, Lawrence Krasner, commented that the billionaire "must be stopped, immediately, before the upcoming presidential election." Musk did not appear in Philadelphia (which is one of the states where his lottery operates) at the designated time. Instead, his representative filed a motion to move the case from the state to the federal court. The motion is awaiting review by the National Prosecutor's Office.

The elections in the United States will conclude on 5th November. They will end because many residents of the country cast their votes earlier. The polls are very close, and it is impossible to predict who will become the next President of the USA.