Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk has been ordered by a US federal judge to face a lawsuit from voters who say he misled them into signing a petition for the US Constitution with the promise of winning his $1 million-a-day giveaway.

The plaintiff, Jacqueline McAferty of Arizona, claims winners were pre-selected, though Musk promoted it as a lottery.

US District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin, Texas, ruled McAferty made a valid case in her proposed class action against Musk and his political group, America PAC.

She also alleges America PAC unlawfully gathered her personal details during the giveaway in the final stretch of the 2024 election campaign.

McAferty claimed that Musk and America PAC pushed voters in seven swing states to sign his petition by offering a $1 million lottery-style prize, even though participants allegedly had no real chance of winning. Those who signed had to provide personal details, including names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers.

According to several media reports, Musk’s lawyers and America PAC have not commented on the ruling. Musk created America PAC to support Republican candidate Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

During the hearing, Musk denied the allegations, arguing that his PAC campaign stated the $1 million recipients were “selected to earn” the money and expected to serve as America PAC spokespeople. He said this wording clarified it was not a lottery and asked the court to dismiss the case.

However, the judge pointed to other PAC statements claiming the money was “awarded” and could be “won,” which could have led the plaintiff to believe it was a random lottery. The judge noted she may have reasonably relied on those claims.

Musk also rejected the idea that petition signers were harmed by sharing personal details. But Judge Pitman said an expert in political data could testify on the value of voter information in swing states.

With IANS Inputs